Factoids related to Person

(Unspecified) (null)
Narrative (1045)
Before 1025
Unassigned Activities
Authorship (896)
(Romanos 4's relationship with him) is incidental to his account

τοῦτο μὲν πάρεργον κείσθω τοῦ λόγου.   Psellos: Chronographia VIIb 11. 6-7
(He did not want) to entrust to the people's ears a distorted narrative, nor make a source of defamation a theme that he had had for praise, nor whet against Konstantinos 9 the tongue that Michael 61 had refined through his encouragement

... ὃν ὑπόθεσιν εἰς λόγους ἔσχηκα κρείττονας, τοῦτον εἰς χείρονας κτήσασθαι ἀφορμήν, καὶ ἣν ἐκάθηρα γλῶτταν ἀφ᾿ ὧν ἐκεῖνός με πρὸς τοῦτο παρώρμησε, ταύτην ἐπ᾿ αὐτῷ θήξασθαι.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 23.12-16
(Heard from Anonymus 7002) that Romanos 4 knew how passionate ... Zoe 1 was and to prevent her being shared among many, did not resent her relationship with one man (Michael 4); while pretending not to see he satisfied her passion

ᾔδει δὲ μάλα ἐρῶσαν ..., καί, ἵνα μὴ πρὸς πολλοὺς διαχέοιτο, οὐ μάλα τὴν πρὸς ἕνα τῆς γυναικὸς ἐδυσχέραινεν ὁμιλίαν, ἀλλὰ σχηματιζόμενος παρορᾶν ἀπεπλήρου τὸ πάθος τῇ βασιλίδι.   Psellos: Chronographia III 23.8-11
(His retirement) was prompted by an innate desire deep in his soul from earliest youth and by the sudden change in affairs: for he was afraid when he saw Konstantinos 9's fickleness, harrying one person after another like a soldier in war

καὶ ἔμφυτός τις ἔρως ἐκ πρώτης ἡλικίας τῇ ἐμῇ ψυχῇ ἐντακεὶς καὶ ἡ ἀθρόα τῶν γινομένων μεταβολή· ἔδεισα γοῦν τὸ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς εὐμετάβολον ὁρῶν, ὥσπερ ἐν πολέμῳ ἄλλον ἐπ᾿ ἄλλῳ ἀγόμενον καὶ φερόμενον.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 191.6-10
(In an encomium) he would have contributed many fine words to the feast of honour, for which Konstantinos 9 gave abundant material, since the encomiast passes over any bad points in his honorand and weaves his praise from what is good

πολλῶν γὰρ ἂν εὐπόρησα καὶ καλῶν λόγων εἰς εὐφημίας ἔρανον, ... · ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἐγκωμιάζων, ὅσα πρόσεστι φαῦλα τῷ ἐκωμιαζομένῳ παραιτούμενος, ἐκ τῶν σπουδαιοτέρων ἐκείνῳ πλέκει τὸν ἔπαινον.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 161.4-8
(In condemning her lack of taste) he makes an exception of Zoe 1's reverence for God; he cannot blame her for excess in this; this virtue in her was unsurpassed ... he has praised her appropriately for this earlier in his account

ὑπεξῃρήσθω δὲ ταύτης τὸ περὶ τὸ θεῖον σέβας, οὐδὲ γὰρ ἔχω ἐνταῦθα τὸ πλέον ἐπαιτᾶσθαι, ἀνυπέρβλητον δὲ αὐτῇ τὸ ἀγαθὸν τοῦτο ἐτύγχανεν ὄν, ... ἄνωθί που τοῦ λόγου τῆς προσηκούσης ἔτυχεν εὐφημίας.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 157.8-13
(In redesigning the Mangana) an exact circle was inscribed using the third church as a centre, with greater art in his opinion ... No one could criticise the size of the project, so outstanding was its beauty

κύκλος ἀκριβὴς ὡς περὶ κέντρον τὸν τρίτον νεὼν τεχνικώτερον, ἵν᾿ οὕτως εἴποιμι, κατεγέγραπτο ... οὗ δὴ εἴ τις τὸ μέγεθος ἐπιμέμψασθαι βούλοιτο, εὐθὺς ἀνείργεται τῷ κάλλει καταλαμπόμενος.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 186.6-9, 21-2
1043 summary: he congratulated Konstantinos 9 for his dramatic victory over Georgios 62, which did not seem to occur by human agency, but as a sign of divine favour; he finally asked Konstantinos to pay him and make him his court rhetor

συγγραφεὺς πρόκριτος.   Psellos Orationes panegyricae II, 775-835
Michael 4 during his reign did and planned very many things and did not meet with failure in many; in examining and judging side by side his successes and failures, he finds more successes than failures

πλεῖστα μὲν ἐπὶ τῆς βασιλείας καὶ πράξας καὶ βουλευσάμενος, οὐ πλειόνων δὲ διαμαρτίαν ἐσχηκώς· ἃ δὴ καὶ αὐτὸς ἀντεξετάζων καὶ παράλληλα κρίνων, πλείω τὰ κατωρθωμένα τῶν διημαρτημένων εὑρίσκω.   Psellos: Chronographia IV 54.12-16
Michael 5 wished someone small or no one at all to share in his power: Michael 61 thinks he was envious even of higher nature

κοινωνεῖν δὲ αὐτῷ τοῦ κράτους μικρὸν μὲν ἢ μηδένα τῶν ἁπάντων ἐβούλετο, ὃ δ’ οἶμαι καὶ κρείττονι φύσει βασκαίνων ἦν.   Psellos: Chronographia V 9.19-21
Zoe 1's largesse was pillaged or seized; all this and the excessive elevation (of individuals) began the decline of affairs to the opposite extreme and humiliation; but this was for prophets and the opinions of the more intelligent

ἦν δ᾿ ἄρα τὸ ξύμπαν καὶ ὁ ἐς τὸ ἄγαν μετεωρισμὸς ἀρχὴ τῆς τῶν πραγμάτων ἐς τὸ ἀντίθετον καταγωγῆς τε καὶ ταπεινώσεως· ἀλλὰ τοῦτο μὲν οἷον ἐν μαντείαις καὶ τῶν συνετωτέρων ταῖς ὑπολήψεσι.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 7.9-13
Konstantinos 9 had another good quality, one which he did not normally praise, but which Konstantinos 9 held in particular esteem; anyone who wishes may judge: Konstantinos 9 was utterly without precaution for himself

τῷ δέ τι καὶ ἄλλο προσῆν ἀγαθόν, ἐμοὶ μὲν οὐκ ἐν ἅπασιν ἐπαινούμενον, ἐκείνῳ δὲ διαφερόντως τιμώμενον, διαιτήσοι δὲ ὁ βουλόμενος· ἀφυλάκτως ἑαυτοῦ παντάπασιν εἶχε.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 132.1-4
Konstantinos 9's refusal to use guards was certainly the beginning of very many ills; he will describe one or two and let readers guess the others; he will begin with a digression, criticising the admission of former slaves to high office

ἀμέλει καὶ πλείστων τοῦτο κακῶν ἐγεγόνει ἀρχή, ὧν ἓν ἢ δύο θέμενος, ἐντεῦθεν καὶ περὶ τῶν ἄλλων εἰκάζειν τοῖς ἀναγινώσκουσι δίδωμι· ἐρῶ δὲ βραχύ τι τῆς ὑποθέσεως παρεκβατικώτερον, ....   Psellos: Chronographia VI 134.1-17
Konstantinos 9 removed Konstantinos 13 from office, but God placed him in a better party and made him celebrant and initiate of His own Holy Wisdom, as Michael 61's account will tell more fully further on

... ὅπερ προϊὼν ὁ λόγος ἐρεῖ ἐντελέστερον.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 181.6-9
Konstantinos 9's dismissal of Konstantinos 13 etc. are ambivalent, depending on individual viewpoint; but in other actions that he proposes to tell, Konstantinos 9 was not at all moderate, but vigorous, intense and sharp

ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ἀμφίλογα τῷ αὐτοκράτορι ... καὶ ὅσα περ ἄλλα ἐρεῖν προῄρημαι, οὐδέν τι μέτριον τῶν πάντων ἐποίει, ἀλλὰ πᾶσιν οἷς ἐβεβούλητο τόνους ἐδίδου καὶ ἀκμὰς καὶ ὀξύτητας.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 182.1-5
Konstantinos 9 did not begin the project (of the Mangana) from the best motive, but he need say nothing of that

ἤρξατο μὲν οὖν αὐτῷ ἡ ὑπόθεσις οὐκ ἀπὸ κρείττονος ἀφορμῆς, περὶ ἧς οὐδὲν δέομαι λέγειν.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 185.5-6
Isaakios 1's action was worthy of an emperor's thinking, but he does not commend at all the attempt to accomplish everything at once; he will describe what Isaakios 1 did

καὶ τοῦτο μὲν ἄξιον βασιλείου φρονήματος, τὸ δ᾿ ἀθρόως πάντα συνελεῖν ἐπικεχειρηκέναι, οὐ πάνυ τι ἐν ταῖς ἐπαινουμέναις τίθεμαι πράξεσιν.   Psellos: Chronographia VII 59.29-32
Michael 7 refused to exile Eudokia 1, as he knows and would guarantee to all with God as his witness

τοῦ μὲν βασιλέως καὶ παιδός, ὅπερ αὐτὸς οἶδα καὶ τοὺς πολλοὺς βεβαιώσαιμι ὑπὸ Θεῷ μάρτυρι, ἀπαρνουμένου τὴν τῆς μητρὸς ἐκδημίαν.   Psellos: Chronographia VIIb 30.8-10
Ioannes 62 is the sharpest intellect he has seen or heard of

ὁξύτατος γὰρ τὴν σύνεσιν ὢν συμπάντων ὧν ἐγὼ καὶ ἤσθῃμαι καὶ τεθέαμαι.   Psellos: Chronographia VIIc 16.5-6
Anonymus 168 claimed that only those of a certain age should rise to the top in a profession like law (thus excluding the young Ioannes 18); Psellos made a long list of ancient intellectuals and writers who disproved this rule

Psellos Against Ophrydas 255
Theodote 2101 affected him even after her death, as her wish for his tonsure pushed him towards that life; but before that he had to fulfil a wide-ranging project of ancient learning, theoretical and practical, which he listed in detail

μέχρι δὲ τοῦ τρίβωνος ἡ φιλοσοφία.   Psellos Mother 52-60
Michael 61 wrote to Anonymus 2176 seeking aid for Anonymus 2177

Τῷ κριτῇ τῶν ᾿Ανατολικῶν.   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 41.273-275
Anonymus 2485 approached Anonymus 2484 via Psellos for an effortless favour

Psellos Letters (K - D) 162, 189.21-190.8
Anonymus 2495 sent a reminder of his promises, and he planned action

Psellos Letters (K - D) 168, 193.1-7
A conventional and impersonal demand that the recipient write to the writer (a standard letter without a recipient?)

Psellos Letters (K - D) 19, 25.1-26
A letter (?) citing Anonymus 2552, but written to hide its subject

Psellos Letters (K - D) 240, 290.5-291.6
A long catalogue of clichés which is not easy to follow, ending with a request for a copy of Plutarch and the possibility of a visit (a standard letter without a recipient?)

Psellos Letters (K - D) 17, 20.20-22.19
A naive and repetitious version of the story of the Spinx at Thebes, with euhemerising tendencies; is it for young pupils, or maybe written by one? (a standard letter without a recipient?)

Psellos Letters (K - D) 18, 22.20-24.27
After a silence, he wrote to Ioannes 18 about following him to Olympos

Psellos Letters (K - D) 191, 215.5-218.30
After carefully weighing the evidence, he would accuse Michael 11 of impiety (heresy), rebellion, murder, sacrilege and also indifference, not mixing up details of these charges but dealing separately with each in turn

ἀσεβείας, τυραννίδος, φόνου, ἱεροσυλίας, πρὸς δὲ καὶ ἀδιαφορίας.   Psellos Kategoria 51-72
After curtailing his account of Konstantinos 10 as far as is reasonable and giving the narrative its usual scale, he will then speak more exacty about his family, his house, his character, likes and dislikes both before and after his rule

συντεμὼν τὸν λόγον ὅσα εἰκὸς καὶ τὸ σύνηθες τῇ συγγραφῇ μέτρον ἀποδιδούς, ἀκριβέστερον ὕστερον ἐρῶ καὶ ἑρμηνεύσω ὁποῖον μὲν αὐτῷ τὸ γένος, ὁποῖον δὲ τοῦ οἴκου τὸ σχῆμα, οἷον δὲ καὶ τὸ ἧθος, ....   Psellos: Chronographia VIIa 1.1-6
After giving an account of Zoe 1 and ending it with her death, he will again deal with another subject; he does not know well what Zoe 1 was like in her youth, except from hearsay, and he has entrusted this to writing earlier on

... καὶ τῷ ἐκείνης θανάτῳ τοῦτον συμπερατώσας, αὖθις ἑτέρας ἕξομαι ὑποθέσεως. Ἐκείνη γὰρ ὅπως εἶχεν ἐφ᾿ ἥβης οὔπω σαφῶς οἶδα, εἰ μὴ ὅσον ἀκοῇ μεμαθηκώς, ἄνω που τοῦ λόγου ταύτην ἐπίστευσα.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 156.3-7
After sketching Konstantinos 10 he will write a fuller account, as he promised to do for this amazing and remarkable emperor

οὕτω μὲν οὖν προσκιάσας αὐτόν, αὐτίκα πλατύτερον γράψω καὶ διαρθρώσομαι, ὥσπερ δὴ ἐπηγγειλάμην ποιῆσαι τῷ θαυμασίῳ τούτῳ καὶ ὑπερφυεῖ αὐτοκράτορι.   Psellos: Chronographia VIIa 5.1-3
After the death of Anonymus 2502 he asked Anonymus 2503 to aid Anonyma 2143

Psellos Letters (K - D) 172, 195.13-196.5
After the interruption to the preface of his account, he returns again to the narrative of events proper

ἐπεὶ δέ μοι ἡ προθεωρία τῆς ἀφηγήσεως ἐπιτέτμηται, ἐπ’ αὐτὴν εἶμι πάλιν τὴν τῶν γεγονότων διήγησιν.   Psellos: Chronographia V 10.1-2
After waiting to see if his intervenion was needed, he wrote a speech in favour of the nomophylax Ioannes 18 and against the jurist Ophrydas (Anonymus 2110), beginning with problems of defending a great man against a nonentity

῾Υπὲρ τοῦ νομοφύλακος κατὰ τοῦ ᾿Οφρυδᾶ.   Psellos Against Ophrydas 1-505
All emperors should be prevented from the folly of not accepting advice and lack of reflection, but self-love and the common flattery that they are equal to all things leads them astray; they suspect a man who speaks frankly for the good

ἔδει ... τὸ ἀσύμβουλόν τε καὶ ἀπερίσκεπτον, πάντων ἀπελαθῆναι τῶν βασιλέων, ἀλλὰ τὸ φίλαυτον, καὶ τὸ ἐνίους τῶν αὐτοκρατόρων παρὰ τῶν τυχόντων θωπεύεσθαι ὡς πᾶσιν ἀρκοῦντος πράγμασι δελεάζει .   Psellos: Chronographia VIIa 18.3-10
All this preliminary narrative enables his account to proceed with artistry, by going back to the beginning, establishing preliminaries and concluding in an orderly way

διὰ ταῦτά μοι τὰ πολλὰ ἐκεῖνα προείρηται, ἵνα μοι προχωροίη κατὰ τέχνην ὁ λόγος εἰς ἀρχήν τε ἀναβαίνοντι καὶ προκαθιστῶντι καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς συμπεραίνοντι.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 46.15-18
Alternatively by hunting down the truth by every means, he thought he would become a cause of mockery to those who find fault and considered not a lover of history but a lover of abuse

ἢ τὸ ἀληθὲς ἐκ παντὸς τρόπου θηρώμενος ἀφορμὴ σκώμματος τοῖς φιλαιτίοις γενήσεσθαι, καὶ οὐ φιλίστωρ, ἀλλὰ φιλολοίδορος νομισθήσεσθαι.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 22.17-20
An account like his passes over a good many of the stranger events which bring shame upon the author and tedium to the readers

ἡ δὲ τοιαύτη διήγησις οὐκ ὀλίγα τῶν ἀτοπωτέρων παρεσιώπησεν, ὁπόσα αἰσχύνην τε τῷ γράφοντι φέρει καὶ ὄχλον τοῖς ἐντυγχάνουσιν.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 150.11-13
Another encomium is set in a large theatre, with competitors to left and right seeking to compete with the deeds of Konstantinos 9; its first subject is the spread of imperial power, especially in Muslim areas, symbolised by the elephant

῞Ετερος λόγος πρὸς τὸν αὐτὸν βασιλέα ... ἐν τηλικούτῳ θεάτρῳ.   Psellos Orationes panegyricae IV, 1-169
As Georgios 62 was wounded in the side it was alleged that it the wound was from a lance, but the one who inflicted the wound is unknown to the time that his history was written

ὁ δὲ τρώσας ἀφανὴς τέως ἐστὶν ἄχρι τῆσδε τῆς συγγραφῆς.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 85.14-16
As an eyewitness of the transfer of rule in 1057 who had an opportunity to think over the events, he came to the conclusion that the actions of Michael 11 were masterful

Psellos Keroularios 365-366
As for Konstantinos 62's appearance and the character expressed, in so far as the innate soul appears from these, he does not know of such earthly beauty

τὸ εἶδος καὶ τὸ ἐμφαινόμενον ἦθος, ὡς οἶόν τε καὶ ἀπὸ τούτων ἐμφαίνειν τὴν ἐγκαθημένην ψυχήν, οὔπω γὰρ οἶδα τοιοῦτον κάλλος ἐπίγειον.   Psellos: Chronographia VIIa 12.5-8
As he has given an adequate acount of Konstantinos 10's deeds he will talk about some of the things he said in his reign

ἐπεὶ δὲ ἀρκούντως αὐτῷ περὶ ὧν ἔπραξε τὸν λόγον ἐποιησάμεθα, φέρε δὴ εἴπωμεν καὶ εἴ τι ἐπὶ τῆς ἀρχῆς παρεφθέγξατο.   Psellos: Chronographia VIIa 29.1-3
As he has said many times, if Isaakios 1 had chosen the right time for action and proceeded gradually he would have changed the disordered world to order

ὅ γοῦν πολλάκις εἰρήκειν, εἰ ταῖς πράξεσιν ὁ βασιλεὺς οὗτος καιροὺς ἀφωρίζετο, ... εἰς τάξιν τε ἂν ἐκ τῆς ἀταξίας μετήγαγεν καὶ κόσμον ὡς ἀληθῶς τοῖς πράγμασιν εἰσεποίησεν.   Psellos: Chronographia VII 62.1-9
As he is not writing an encomiumn but a true history (he will say that) Konstantinos 10 sometimes went wrong in relying only on his own counsel in what he did

ἐπεὶ δὲ οὐκ ἐγκώμιον τὰ γραφόμενα, ἀλλ’ ἀληθὴς ἱστορία, ἑαυτῷ μόνῳ σύμβουλῳ περὶ τὰ πρακτέα χρώμενος, ἔστιν οὗ καὶ ἡμάρτανε τοῦ ἀκριβεστέρου σκοποῦ.   Psellos: Chronographia VIIa 17.2-4
As he sets out to write about Michael 7, or rather to outline as far as his summary account allows, he begs his audience not to consider that he exaggerates Michael's character and actions; in fact he greatly understates them

῾Ιστορεῖν ... ἢ μᾶλλον σκιαγραφεῖν ὅσον ἐπὶ τοῦ λόγου ἐπιτομῇ, τοῦτο πρῶτον τὸν ἀκροατὴν παραιτοῦμαι μὴ κρείττονος τοὺς λόγους ἡγήσασθαι τῶν ἠθῶν ἐκείνου καὶ πράξεεων, ἀλλ’ ὑστεροῦντας παρὰ πολύ.   Psellos: Chronographia VIIc 1.1-5
As he will conceal none of Konstantinos 9's nobler deeds but bring them into the open, so too if Konstantinos has said anything in a different disposition, this he will also make clear in his account

ὥσπερ γὰρ οὐδέν σοι τῶν κρειττόνων συνεπικρύψομαι, ἀλλ᾿ εἰς τοὐφανὲς ἄξω, οὕτως εἴ τί σοι μὴ ἀπὸ τῆς αὐτῆς εἴρηται ἕξεως καὶ τοῦτο δὴ τῷ λόγῳ δῆλον ποιήσομαι.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 28.7-10
As it has been his habit in writing to omit many things in the middle of the subject he will again return to Konstantinos 9

ὥσπερ δέ που ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ γραφῇ εἴωθα πολλὰ τῶν ἐν μέσῳ τῆς ὑποθέσεως τῆσδε παραλελοιπὼς αὖθις εἰς ἐκεῖνον ἄνειμι.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 156.1-3
As it would take much time and many words to detail (the events of Konstantinos 9's reign) in order from beginning to end - armies, camps, skirmishes, battles and everything else that precise historians tell - he will defer this for now

τὰ μὲν οὖν ἐφεξῆς πάντα διεξιέναι, ἑκαστόν τι ἐξακριβοῦσθαι , ... καὶ τἄλλα ὁπόσα εἴθισται λέγειν τοῖς ἀκριβέσι τῶν συγγραφέων, ὡς μακροῦ καιροῦ καὶ λόγου δεόμενα εἰς τὸ παρὸν ἀναβάλλομαι.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 73.1-6
At the beginning of his monody, he pictured the whole of nature severely disturbed by the death of Maria 64, by the loss of her beauty and charm

Psellos Poema 17.1-60
At the end of his speech for the prosecution (which could be lengthened), he asked the synod if Michael 11 should continue as patriarch: if yes, they (not Isaakios 1) would bear responsibility; if no, they should vote for deposition

Psellos Kategoria 2785-2845
At this point he wishes to introduce himelf into the history and share in the virtues of Konstantinos 10

ἀλλ’ ἐνταῦθα τοῦ λόγου γενόμενος συνεισενεγκεῖν καὶ ἐμαυτὸν τῷ συγγράμματι βούλομαι καὶ τῶν ἐκείνου παραπολαῦσαι καλῶν.   Psellos: Chronographia VIIa 7.1-3
At this point in his account he would like to explain the causes of the Rus' naval expedition against Konstantinos 9 who had committed no hostility against them

ἐνταῦθα δὲ καὶ τοῦ λόγου γενόμενος, βούλομαι τὰς αἰτίας ἐρεῖν ἀφ᾿ ὧν ἐκεῖνοι μηδὲν ἐναντιωθέντι τῷ αὐτοκράτορι τὴν ἐπιθαλάττιον ξυγκίνησιν καὶ στρατοπεδίαν πεποίηνται.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 90.6-9
Bids his account characterise Konstantinos 8, not adding anything to his nature nor mitigating

ὁ δὲ λόγος χαρακτηριζέτω τὸν αὐτοκράτορα, μηδέν τι τοῦ πεφυκότος ἢ προστιθεὶς ἢ καθυφείς.   Psellos: Chronographia II 6.1-2
But by the rules of strategy as commander-in-chief he should have stood at a distance giving the necessary commands, while he foolishly ran into danger: this would give cause for much abuse; but he is among those who praise, not the critics

...δέον κατὰ τὴν στρατηγικὴν ἀκριβείαν πόρρω ἵστασθαι, πρωτοστράτηγον τυγχάνοντα ..., ὁ δὲ ἀλογίστως παρεκινδύνευε, πολλὰ ἂν ἐς αὐτὸν ἀποσκώψειεν· ἐγὼ δὲ μετὰ τῶν ἐπαινούντων, ἀλλ’ οὐ τῶν αἰτιωμένων εἰμί.   Psellos: Chronographia VIIb 21.5-10
Comparing Konstantinos 9 with great past leaders, he knows that Konstantinos 9 is inferior in bravery, but greater in the other virtues by the extent to which he ceded to them in that virtue

ἔγωγ᾿ οὖν πρὸς ἐκείνους συγκρίνων τουτονὶ τὸν μέγιστον αὐτοκράτορα, ἐλάττονα μὲν πρὸς ἀνδρίαν οἶδα, μείζονα δὲ τοῖς ἄλλοις καλοῖς ἢ ὅσῳ τοῦ λοιποῦ μέρους τῶν καλλιστείων ἐκείνοις παρακεχώρηκεν.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 164.1-4
Composed a lamentation for the collapse of (the dome of) Hagia Sophia

Εἰς τὴν τῆς Ἁγίας Σοφίας σύμπτωσιν.   Psellos Oratoria minora 131-134
Composed a speech about enkomia in response to a question from the vestarches Pothos 102

Πρὸς αὐτὸν (Πόθον τὸν βεστάρχην) ἐρωτήσαντα ποῖος ἐγκωμίων κρείττων.   Psellos Oratoria minora 57-58
Composed a speech about his pupils (Anonymi 148) chastising them for their laziness

Ἐμβραδυνάντων τῶν μαθητῶν τῇ τῆς σχολῆς ξυνελεύσει.   Psellos Oratoria minora 79-82
Composed a speech about his pupils (Anonymi 149) who gave up on studying (?)

Πρὸς τοὺς μαθητὰς ἀπολειφθέντας τῆς ἑρμηνείας τοῦ Περὶ ἑρμηνείας.   Psellos Oratoria minora 82-84
Composed a speech about his pupils (Anonymi 150) who neglected their studies

Ὀνειδίζει τοὺς μαθητὰς ἀμελοῦντας.   Psellos Oratoria minora 84-87
Composed a speech about his secretary (Anonymus 449)

Πρὸς τὸν οἰκεῖον γραμματικόν.   Psellos Oratoria minora 62-65
Composed a speech about his students (Anonymi 147) who failed to attend classes because of the rainy weather

Ὅταν ἔβρεξε καὶ οὐκ ἀνῆλθον οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ εἰς τὴν σχολήν.   Psellos Oratoria minora 76-78
Composed a speech about his useless priest (Anonymus 442)

Πρὸς τὸν ἑαυτοῦ παπᾶν.   Psellos Oratoria minora 59-62
Composed a speech about the envy and rivalries among the asekretis

Psellos Oratoria minora 47-48
Composed a speech about the office of asekretis

Psellos Oratoria minora 44-46
Composed a speech addressed to a dishonest and boastful tavern-keeper (Anonymus 440) who spent his time idly philosophising

Πρός τινα κάπηλον μεγάλαυχον καὶ φιλοσοφοῦντα διάκενα.   Psellos Oratoria minora 48-51
Composed a speech addressed to a dishonest tavern-keeper (Anonymus 441) who became a nomikos

Εἴς τινα κάπηλον γενόμενον νομικόν.   Psellos Oratoria minora 52-57
Composed a speech addressed to his infant grandchild (Anonymus 436)

Εἰς τὸν αὐτοῦ ἔκγονον ἔτι νήπιον ὄντα.   Psellos Oratoria minora 152-155
Composed a speech addressed to the emperor Doukas (Michael 7?) about a relief sculpture (?) depicting Odysseus and Kirke (Ulysses and Circe)

Πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα τὸν Δούκαν.   Psellos Oratoria minora 126-127
Composed a speech addressed to the nephews of the patriarch Michael 11 (Nikephoros 111 and Konstantinos 120)

Περὶ φιλίας πρὸς τοὺς ἀνεψιοὺς τοῦ πατριάρχου Μιχαήλ.   Psellos Oratoria minora 117-126
Composed a speech against those who criticized him

Πρὸς τὸν λοίδορον ῥίψαντα χάρτην.   Psellos Oratoria minora 21-29
Composed a speech against those who maligned him

Πρὸς τοὺς βασκαίνοντας αὐτῷ.   Psellos Oratoria minora 40-43
Composed a speech against those who maligned him for receiving the dignity of hypertimos

Πρὸς τοὺς βασκήναντας αὐτῷ τῆς τοῦ ὑπερτίμου τιμῆς.   Psellos Oratoria minora 37-40
Composed a speech for Ioannes 66 (Italos)

Εἰς τὸν Λογγίβαρδον Ἰωάννην καταναγκάζοντα αὐτὸν εἰς τὸ ἑρμηνεῦσαι τάχιον τὰ μαθήματα.   Psellos Oratoria minora 65-69
Composed a speech for his pupil Sergios 105 who had never been bitten by a flea

Πρὸς τὸν μαθητὴν αὐτοῦ Σέργιον εἰπόντα μήποτε δηχθῆναι ὑπὸ ψύλλης.   Psellos Oratoria minora 94-97
Composed a speech for his students of philosophy and rhetoric

Psellos Oratoria minora 88-93
Composed a speech for the emperor (Romanos 4) Diogenes

Σελέντιον ὡς ἀπὸ τοῦ βασιλέως τοῦ Διογένους.   Psellos Oratoria minora 4-6
Composed a speech for the emperor Michael 7 Doukas, a traditional praise of fasting explicitly from a very young man to an older audience, hence probably from his first year of rule

Σελέντιον δημηγορηθὲν παρὰ βασιλέως κῦρ Μιχαὴλ τοῦ Δούκα.   Psellos Oratoria minora 7-10
Composed a speech for the emperor Konstantinos 10 Doukas

Ἐπαναγνωστικὸν ὡς ἀπὸ τοῦ αὐτοκράτορος τοῦ Δούκα κῦρ Κωνσταντίνου.   Psellos Oratoria minora 16-18
Composed a speech for the empress Theodora 1

Σελέντιον ἐκφωνηθὲν ἐπὶ τῶν ἡμερῶν τῆς βασιλίσσης κυρᾶς Θεοδώρας.   Psellos Oratoria minora 1-4
Composed a speech for two of his students (Anonymi 146)

Εἰς δύο τινὰς τῶν μαθητῶν αὐτοῦ λογογραφήσαντας πρὸς ἀλλήλους.   Psellos Oratoria minora 73-76
Composed a speech in praise of bugs

Ἐγκώμιον εἰς τοὺς κόρεις.   Psellos Oratoria minora 107-110
Composed a speech in praise of lice

Ἐγκώμιον εἰς τὴν φθεῖρα.   Psellos Oratoria minora 102-106
Composed a speech in praise of the flea

Ἐγκώμιον εἰς τὴν ψύλλαν.   Psellos Oratoria minora 98-101
Composed a speech in praise of wine

Ἐγκώμιον εἰς τὸν οἶνον.   Psellos Oratoria minora 111-116
Composed a speech, called selentios (silentium), for an emperor (Konstantinos 9? Konstantinos 10?)

Λόγος τοῦ ὑπερτίμου ὃς ἐπικέκληται σελέντιος.   Psellos Oratoria minora 10-16
Composed an apology in defence of his resignation from the office of protasekretis

Ὅτε παρῃτήσατο τὴν τοῦ πρωτοασηκρῆτις ἀξίαν.   Psellos Oratoria minora 29-37
Composed an apology in defence of philosophers

Πρὸς τοὺς οἰόμενους τὸν φιλόσοφον ἐρᾶν τῆς τῶν πραγμάτων ἀντιλήψεως, ἅμα δὲ καὶ διὰ τοῦτο βασκαίνοντας αὐτῷ.   Psellos Oratoria minora 19-21
Composed an ekphrasis of a stone sculpture of a sleeping Eros

Ἔκφρασις εἰς Ἔρωτα ἐγγεγλυμμένον λίθῳ.   Psellos Oratoria minora 129-131
Composed an ekphrasis of an image (relief sculpture?) depicting Kirke and Odysseus (Circe and Ulysses)

Ἔκφρασις ἢ ἀλληγορία.   Psellos Oratoria minora 128-129
Composed an enkomion for the monk Ioannes 270 Kroustoulas

Ἐγκώμιον εἰς τὸν μοναχὸν Ἰωάννην τὸν Κρουστουλᾶν ἀναγνόντα ἐν τῇ Ἁγίᾳ Σορῷ.   Psellos Oratoria minora 138-151
Composed an enkomion of (Ioannes 66) Italos

Ἔπαινος τοῦ Ἰταλοῦ.   Psellos Oratoria minora 69-72
Composed four short speeches praising Mount Olympus (in Bithynia), particularly its natural beauty

Τὰ πρὸς Ὄλυμπον.   Psellos Oratoria minora 134-137
Consolation for Anonymus 2223 on the death of Anonymus 2224

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 105.347-350
Declines to debate the question whether Michael 4 and Zoe 1 drugged Romanos 3, but (does enter the debate) that they were the cause of his death

καὶ οὐ περὶ τούτου νῦν διαμφισβητοῦμαι, ἀλλ’ ὅτι ἡ τοῦ θανεῖν αἰτία ἐκεῖνοι γεγόνασιν.   Psellos: Chronographia III 26.8-9
Declines to praise or blame Michael 4's changed attitude to Zoe 1: his hatred for his benefactress and unfeeling behaviour is not good, but his fear that she might engulf him too in similar evils (to Romanos 3) is to be praised

... τὸ μὲν γὰρ μισεῖν τὴν εὐεργέτιδα καὶ ἀγνωμόνως πρὸς ταύτην φέρεσθαι οὐκ ἐν καλοῖς τίθεμαι, τὸ δὲ δεδίεναι περὶ ταύτῃ μὴ τοῖς ἴσοις καὶ τοῦτον περιβαλεῖ κακοῖς οὐκ ἔχω μὴ ἐπαινεῖν.   Psellos: Chronographia IV 6.5-8
Describes the narrative (of 3.17) as the prologue to his account (of Romanos 3's death), while the main events came about as follows

οὗτος μὲν οὖν ὁ τοῦ λόγου πρόλογος, ἡ δὲ ὑπόθεσις τοιαύτη τις ἐπισυμβεβήκει.   Psellos: Chronographia III 18.3-4
During an absence from the city (1069?) he wrote to Nikephoros 111 a letter of his own (not under Konstantinos 120's address), wondering about his situation and sending some lively material for discussion at the dinner-table

Τῷ δρουγγαρίῳ καὶ αὐτεδέλφῳ αὐτοῦ.   Psellos Letters (Maltese) 17.1-52
Either by omitting, for reasons which he will tell, what was done by some people or by making other changes, he thought that he would be convicted of not making a history but of fabricating events as if for the stage

ἢ γὰρ ὑπερβὰς δι᾿ ἃς αἰτίας ἐρῶ τὰ πεπραγμένα τισίν, ἢ μεταβάλλων ἑτέρως, οὐχ ἱστορίαν ποιῶν, ἀλλὰ πλάττων ὥσπερ ἐπὶ σκηνῆς πράγματα ᾤμην ἁλώσεσθαι.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 22.15-17
Enough about himself since he did not wish to put himself in the history, but his digressions led him to this perforce

ἀλλὰ τῶν περὶ ἐμὲ λόγων ἅλις, οὐ γὰρ ἐμαυτὸν ἐβουλόμην ἐγκαταστῆσαι τῇ ἱστορίᾳ, ἀλλ᾿ αἱ τῶν λόγων ὑπεκδρομαὶ πρὸς τοῦτό με παρήνεγκαν βίας.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 200.1-3
Even as he wrote his history he was overwehlmingly amazed at Konstantinos 9's strength in enduring the extreme pains which afflicted him then

ἐγὼ δὲ καὶ ξυγγράφων τοῦτον ἔτι τὸν ἄνδρα ὑπερεκπέπληγμαι, ὅπως τηνικαῦτα ἐξήρκει τοσαύταις περιωδυνίαις βαλλόμενος.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 130.1-3
Everything came to absolutely nothing: Konstantinos 9 died (as his account will later tell), while Anonyma 210 was again considered a hostage and Romanos 62's fire kindled only phantoms

ἀτελέστατα ἐγεγόνει πάντα· ὅ τε γὰρ αὐτοκράτωρ ἐτεθνήκει, ὡς ὕστερον ὁ λόγος ἐρεῖ, ἐκείνων δὲ ἡ μὲν σεβαστὴ εἰς ὁμηρείας αὖθις μερίδα λελόγισται, τὸν δὲ μέχρι φαντασμάτων ὁ τοῦ ἔρωτος ἀνάπτει πυρσός.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 155.20-4
Expresses admiration for Konstantinos 8 who voluntarily ceded to Basileios 2 most of his share in the empire, even though he was young, when lust for power is especially kindled, ...; so Konstantinos 8 deserves encomium in the proem

θαυμάσειεν ἄν τις ἐνταῦθα τὸν Κωνσταντῖνον ... τοιούτων μὲν οὖν ἐγκωμίων ἐκ προοιμίων ἀξιούσθω ὁ Κωνσταντῖνος.   Psellos: Chronographia I 2.11-19
Feels no amazement that Zoe 1 should adorn Michael 4 like a statue and cover him in gold, making him dazzle with rings and gold-woven robes: for what would an empress in love not bestow on her beloved?

τὸ μὲν οὖν περικαλλύνειν τοῦτον ὥσπερ ἄγαλμα καὶ καταχρυσοῦν, δακτυλίοις τε περιαστράπτειν καὶ χρυσοϋφέσιν ἐσθήμασιν οὐκ ἐν θαυμασίοις ἄγω· βασιλὶς γὰρ ἐρῶσα τί οὐκ ἂν τῷ ἐρωμένῳ πορίσαιτο;.   Psellos: Chronographia III 20.1-4
First of all, he particularly admired Michael 4 because, although he chanced on this great prosperity from a humble fortune, his thinking was not confounded, he was not found unequal to power, yet altered nothing of what was established

καὶ τοῦτο πρῶτον θαυμάζειν ἔχω τοῦ αὐτοκράτορος, ὅτι ἐξ ἐλάττονος τύχης τῆς μεγίστης ταύτης εὐδαιμονίας τυχών, οὔτ’ ἐξεπλάγη τὸ φρόνημα, οὔτε ἥττων εὑρέθη τοῦ κράτους, ἀλλ’ οὔ τι τῶν καθεστώτων ἠλλοίωσε.   Psellos: Chronographia IV 10.1-4
From the accession of Romanos 3 the writing of his history will be more accurate than the preceding part, since the emperor Basileios 2 died when he was still an infant, and Konstantinos 8 when he had completed his first lessons

ἡ δὲ ἐντεῦθεν τῆς ἱστορίας γραφὴ ἀκριβεστέρα τῆς προλαβούσης γενήσεται· ὁ μὲν γὰρ βασιλεὺς Βασίλειος ἐπὶ νηπίῳ μοι τετελεύτηκεν, ὁ δέ γε Κωνστατνῖνος ἄρτι τὰ πρῶτα τελουμένῳ μαθήματα.   Psellos: Chronographia III 1.10-13
Had he been writing an encomium rather than a comprehensive history, (the flight of the Uzes) would have provided more than enough material for praise; but as it is he will turn the impetus of his account to other matters

εἰ μὲν οὖν ἐγκωμιάζειν προειλόμην, ἀλλὰ μὴ συνοπτικὴν ἱστορίαν ποιεῖν, ἀπέχρησεν ἄν μοι τοῦτο τὸ διήγημα εἰς πᾶσαν εὐφημίας ὑπερβολήν· νῦν δὲ ἐφ’ ἕτερα τὴν τοῦ λόγου ὁρμὴν μετενέγκοιμι.   Psellos: Chronographia VIIa 23.14-17
Had he not promised an account of serious matters but of trivia and frivolities, he would have assembled many tales in his acount; but he will let this one tale (of Romanos 62 and the horse) stand for many, and narrate events in sequence

εἴ γε μὴ σπουδαίων ἐπηγγειλάμην ἀναγραφήν, ἀλλὰ φλυάρων καὶ ἀσπουδάστων, πολλὰ ἂν τῷ λόγῳ συνηγήοχα διηγήματα· ἀλλὰ τοῦτο μὲν ὡς ἐκ πολλῶν ἓν έκκείσθω, ὁ δέ γε λόγος τὰ ἑξῆς διηγήσεται.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 143.14-17
Had he seen that other emperors had done everything with the finest disposition and found favour in all things whereas Konstantinos 9's reign alone had the opposite character, he would have omitted his account of him

... ὅτι τῶν ἄλλων αὐτοκρατόρων ἀπὸ τῆς κρατίστης ἕξεως πάντα διαπεπραχότων καὶ ἐν πᾶσιν εὐδοκιμηκότων, τούτῳ μόνῳ ἡ βασιλεία ἀπὸ τῶν ἐναντίων κεχαρακτήρισται, ὑπερέβην ἄν τὸν ὑπὲρ ἐκείνου λόγον.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 26.7-11
Has heard another version (of Zoe 1's affair with Michael 4), that Romanos 4 was tolerant of it, but his sister Pulcheria and her confidants were enraged; however, her early death terminated hostilities

ὃ τοίνυν ἄλλως μοι εἴρητο· ὁ μὲν βασιλεὺς εὔκολος πρὸς τὴν ἐρωτικὴν ὑπόληψιν ἢ κατάληψιν ἦν, ἐμεμήνει δὲ ἥ τε ἀδελφὴ Πουλχερία ....   Psellos: Chronographia III 23.11-20
Having come to this point in his account he would like to say this about Eudokia 1, that he does not know if any other woman was such an example of wisdom as she was in her way of life up to this time

ἐνταῦθα δὲ τοῦ λόγου γενόμενος, τοσοῦτον ἂν περὶ τῆς βασιλίδος Εὐδοκίας εἴποιμι, ὅτι οὐκ οἶδα εἴ τις ἄλλη γυναικῶν σωφροσύνης ἐγεγόνει παράδειγμα, ὡς ἐκείνη τὸν μέχρι τούτου τῆς ζωῆς βίον ἐβίωσε.   Psellos: Chronographia VIIb 4.1-4
Having completed his account of Zoe 1 he returns again to Konstantinos 9, adding that he had not wished to write a history and be called a lover of truth for it, but to compose an encomium for Konstantinos 9

ἐγὼ δὲ τὸν περὶ τῆς βασιλίδος συντελέσας λόγον, ἐπὶ τὸν βασιλέα αὖθις ἐπάνειμι, τοσοῦτον ἐπειπών· ἐβουλόμην μὴ ἱστορεῖν, μηδὲ φιλαλήθης ἐνταῦθα κατονομάζεσθαι, ἀλλ᾿ ἐγκώμια τῷ αὐτοκράτορι τούτῳ ποιεῖν.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 161.1-4
Having reached this point in his account of Zoe 1, Michael 61 wil return again to Maria 64 and Konstantinos, arousing and separating them, if it seems good, and while saving him up for later, complete now the life of Maria

ἐπανακαλέσωμεν αὖθις εἰς τὴν σεβαστὴν καὶ τὸν αὐτοκράτρορα, καί, εἰ δοκεῖ, διεγείρωμέν τε καὶ διέλωμεν, καὶ τὸν μὲν ἐς τὸν μέλλοντα λόγον ταμιευσώμεθα, τῇ δὲ διὰ τοῦ παρόντος συνέλωμεν τὴν ζωήν.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 68.1-5
Having written a rather critical letter to Anonymus 2145 he now thanked him for a treatise

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 16.255-256
He (probably) wrote an epitaph for Isaakios 1, in which reference is made to a friend of the deceased, who may be Konstantinos 13

Τοῦ Ψελλοῦ εἰς τὸν τάφον τοῦ Κομνηνοῦ τοῦ βασιλέως.   Psellos Poema 20.1-12
He accused Anonymus 2331 of sophistry

Psellos Letters (Spadaro) 166-167 [Sathas 203]
He added conventional consolation - death as the common lot of all - introducing a vision of Maria 64 herself, asking for imperial benefactions to wipe away her sins; he finally recommended Zoe 1 and Theodora 1 as dynastic consolation

Psellos Poema 17.326-448
He admires the strict standard of a mind (like Leon 62's), but considers it suited to to eternities not (earthly) times, to the future life, not the present one

ἔγωγ᾿ οὖν τὴν στάθμην τῆς τοιαύτης γνώμης θαυμάζω μέν, αἰῶσι μὲν ἀλλ᾿ οὐ χρόνοις πρόσφορον ἥγημαι, καὶ βίῳ τῷ μέλλοντι ἀλλ᾿ οὐ τῷ ἐφεστηκότι.   Psellos: Chronographia VIa 7.9-12
He agreed to a request from Leon 62 to write an encomium for St Gregorios Thaumatourgos, after an elaborate double humility topos: he expressed great inferiority both to the saint and to Leon

Πρὸς τὸν πρωτοσύγκελλον ἀξιώσαντα ἱστορεῖσθαι τὰ θαύματα τοῦ θαυματουργοῦ Γρηγορίου.   Psellos Orationes panegyricae XVI, 1-62
He and Anonymus 2548 did not agree, and he wrote to Anonymus 2547 asking why

Psellos Letters (K - D) 226, 269.24-270.12
He announced to Konstantinos 120 and Ioannes 62 the arrival of Elias 2101

Psellos Letters (K - D) 212, 249.17-252.2
He apologised for introducing himself into the narrative of the end of the reign of Michael 6 and the transfer of rule to Isaakios 1, sharing the glory with Konstantinos 13

εἰ δὲ κἀγὼ πάρεργον τοῦ λόγου γενήσομαι καὶ τρόπον τινὰ συναπολαύσω τῶν ἐκείνου καλῶν, φθονείτω μηδείς.   Psellos Leichoudes 406-407
He applied to Anonymus 2531 for renewal of the sigillion of the convent of Sakelline

Psellos Letters (K - D) 201, 229.14-230.19
He asked Anonymus 2245 for help over Euthymios 2101

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 128.375
He asked Anonymus 2253 for a kind hearing and maybe aid for Anonymus 2255

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 133.377-378
He asked Anonymus 2315 to help Anonymus 2316

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 193.488
He asked Anonymus 2330 for another favour for Anonymus 2329

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 201.494-495
He asked Romanos 4 to accept him as his his panegyrist

Psellos Letters (K - D) 5, 5.22-7.16
He asked Anonymus 2375 to be second charioteer driving Anonymus 2173

Psellos Letters (K - D) 57, 89.25-91.6
He asked Anonymus 2389 for help for Anonymus 2390

Psellos Letters (K - D) 69, 103.1-12
He asked Anonymus 2396 for aid to Anonymus 2397

Psellos Letters (K - D) 78, 109.4-18
He asked Anonymus 2401 to assist Anonymus 2400 and his monastery Melias

Psellos Letters (K - D) 81, 111.7-22
He asked Anonymus 2404 on behalf of Gregorios 2101 to map the borders of his lands

Psellos Letters (K - D) 84, 113.1-29
He asked Anonymus 2421 to welcome Anonymus 2422

Psellos Letters (K - D) 100, 128.8-129.2
He asked Anonymus 2433 to help Anonymus 2435

Psellos Letters (K - D) 118, 144.23-145.9
He asked Anonymus 2194 to allow Anonymus 2448 to go off on campaign

Psellos Letters (K - D) 132, 154.19-155.17
He asked Anonymus 2164 for more aid for Medikion, especially in connection with Anonymus 2460

Psellos Letters (K - D) 140, 167.9-168.12
He asked Anonymus 2164 for a sympathetic hearing for Anonymus 2462

Psellos Letters (K - D) 143, 170.1-14
He asked Anonymus 2302 for aid for Anonymus 2252

Psellos Letters (K - D) 149, 174.15-29
He asked Anonymus 2465 to save Anonymus 2466

Psellos Letters (K - D) 150, 175.1-15
He asked Anonymus 2465 again to help Anonymus 2466

Psellos Letters (K - D) 151, 175.16-25
He asked Anonymus 2492 to take care of Anonymus 2491

Psellos Letters (K - D) 165, 191.3-16
He asked Anonymus 2527 to put him under another spell

Psellos Letters (K - D) 196, 222.14-22
He asked Konstantinos 10 to transfer Medikion to Anastasios 2101

Psellos Letters (K - D) 202, 230.20-231.6
He asked Anonymus 2560 to be impartial over those who were mistreating Anonymi 2118

Psellos Letters (K - D) 244, 294.19-295.2
He asked Anonymus 2565 to help Anonymus 2564 to seek to recover losses

Psellos Letters (K - D) 247, 297.7-19
He asked Pothos 102, if he was guilty of violence against the Theotokos, to stop it

Psellos Letters (K - D) 250, 299.1-17
He asked Anonymus 2582 why he only heard news of him from Anonymus 2583

Psellos Letters (K - D) 262, 307.22-308.23
He asked Anonymus 2237 to investigate the claims of Anonymus 2236

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 119.367-368
He asked for pity from Ioannes 289 for Anonymus 2175

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 40.273
He asked how Anonymus 2581 lived without him

Psellos Letters (K - D) 261, 307.7-21
He asked why Basileios 2103 did not write, for all his promises

Τῷ βεστάρχῃ καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ κανικλείου.   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 88.331-332
He attacked the letter of Anonymus 2348, claiming to be giving a model reply

Τοῦ Ψελλοῦ ἀντίγραμμα πρὸς αὐτόν.   Psellos Letters (K - D) 210, 245.1-247.8
He began the chrysobull with a statement of the importance of such documents, especially when sent to men of high calibre and strengthened by the most terrible oaths, as the most irrevocable statement of imperial intentions

Psellos Robert 4-25
He began the encomium with praise for writing about those you know best for an audience which also knows them, rather than writing of those long dead

Psellos Mother 3-4
He began, at last, a correspondence with Anonymus 2239

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 121.370
He begs that Konstantinos 9, divine soul, be gracious to him, and even if he speaks immoderately of his times, yet without concealment and truthfully, Konstantinos 9 pardon him this too

διὰ ταῦτα ἵλεά μοι τὰ παρὰ σοῦ εἴη, θειοτάτη ψυχή· κἂν μὴ μετρίως περὶ τῶν χρόνων εἴποιμι, ἀλλ᾿ ἀνεπικαλύπτως καὶ ἀληθῶς, σύγγνωθί μοι καὶ τοῦτο.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 28.4-6
He brought Konstantinos 10 bread, wine and fruit

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 52.283
He brought Konstantinos 10 the best of this earth: fruit, wine and bread

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 137.380
He cannot but admire Michael 7's greatest strength ... Michael 7's refusal to despair and resolve in the international crisis that he inherited; this prevented the state from foundering, even if it has not yet come to a secure harbour

τὸ δὲ μέγιστον καὶ ὅ μηδὲ θαυμάζειν δεδύνημαι ... ἀλλ’ ἡ τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτῷ στάσις καὶ τὸ τῆς γνώμης ἀκλόνητον ἔστησε τὴν τῶν πραγμάτων φοράν, καὶ εἰ μὴ τοῖς λιμέσι προσωκείλαμεν τέως, ἀλλ’ ....   Psellos: Chronographia VIIc 7.7-18
He cannot write history like panegyric, as he cannot distort history, where truth is crucial, for fear of popular criticism, lest some slandering tongue blame him for condemning where he should praise: this is no lawsuit, but true history

... οὐ γὰρ ἂν ψευσαίμην τὴν ἱστορίαν, ἧς τὸ κράτιστον ἡ ἀλήθεια, ..., εὐλαβούμενος μή με λοίδορος γλῶσσα αἰτιάσαιτο, ὅτι εὐφημεῖν δέον κατηγορῶ· οὐ κατηγορία τοῦτο, οὐδὲ γραφή, ἀλλ᾿ ἀληθῶς ἱστορία.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 26.1-7
He claimed that references by the founders of Nea Mone to the pain of childbirth convict them of Nestorianism, in refusing to accept that the birth of Christ was without pain, again tainting Michael 11

Psellos Kategoria 367-417
He claimed the speech showed no personal bias against the patriarch, but derived from personal observation that he had been straying from orthodoxy; he would ask the synod too to use personal observations in reaching judgement

Psellos Kategoria 5-51
He clings to historical truth and considers Konstantinos 9's landscape activities far from the range of his good qualities, as was his puerile behaviour towards a certain lad (Ioannes 115)

ἔχομαι γοῦν τῆς ἀληθοῦς ἱστορίας, καὶ πόρρω τοῦ κύκλου τῶν ἐκείνων ταῦτα ποιοῦμαι καλῶν, ὤσπερ δὴ καὶ ἅπερ ἐπεπράχει μειρακιωδῶς περί τι μειράκιον.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 177.1-4
He closed his monody on the death of Eirene 20117 with a long recapitulation of her virtues and a formal passage of consolation for her husband Ioannes 62

Psellos Eirene 181-189
He combined high encomium of Leon 62 with firm criticism

Psellos Letters (K - D) 185, 203.17-204.30
He compared Konstantinos 120's painted image with the reality and with a word-picture

Psellos Letters (K - D) 211, 247.9-249.16
He complained that Anonymus 2182 expected all his letters to be perfect

Τῳ πραίτωρι Θρᾳκησίων τῷ Ξηρῷ.   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 51.282-283
He complained that Leon 2104 refused to respond to his letters

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 89.333-334
He complained that Michael 11 had failed to stop a year of persecution of him by clerics under patriarchal influence, yet also saw the patriarch now as a prime source of his salvation

Τῷ πατριάρχῃ λειτουργήσαντι ἐν τῇ Χαλκῇ.   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 139.381-382
He complained to Anonymus 2326 of the trivial office he was offered

τῷ δὲ τοῦ παπᾶ Σαβίνου τριμήνῳ.   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 198.490-491
He complained to Ioannes 289 about his philosophical rigidity

Psellos Letters (K - D) 190, 212.20-215.4
He confessed to Anonymus 2443, admitting sacrilege, the theft of icons and perjury

Psellos Letters (K - D) 129, 152.19-28
He congratulated Michael 11 on his higher human feeling and told of a visit from Anonymus 2392

Psellos Letters (K - D) 71, 104.8-12
He congratulated Katakalon 101 for losing to the emperor of this world money to be repaid in the next

Psellos Letters (K - D) 141, 168.13-169.12
He congratulated Ioannes 62 on his letters, and asked for help with Konstantinos 10

Psellos Letters (Gautier) 2.1-22
He considers it the product of a greater providence and management, that the succession did not fall to any other member of Michael 5's family, but on Michael 5, through whom the divinity knew how to obliterate the whole family

κρείττονος ... ἡγοῦμαι προνοίας ..., τὸ μὴ εἰς ἄλλον τινὰ τῶν τοῦ γένους τὴν τῆς βασιλείας διαδοχὴν πεσεῖν, ἀλλ’ εἰς αὐτὸν τὸν καίσαρα δι’ οὗ ᾔδει τὸ θεῖον τὸ ξύμπαν αὐτοῖς γένος ἀφανισθήσεσθαι.   Psellos: Chronographia IV 30.4-8
He consoled Leon 62 in a letter over a recent dramatic loss of power and wealth

Τῷ αὐτῷ.   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 8.234-238
He consoled Niketas 166 and Ioannes 438 for their loss

Psellos Letters (K - D) 36, 58.16-60.15
He consoled Nikolaos 2104 by telling him of Konstantinos 10's reaction to his letter

Psellos Letters (K - D) 56, 88.7-89.22
He could not have talked about (his interview with Konstantinos 9) without first explaining the cause, and since he wished to explain the cause, he needed to mention some personal details

τοῦτο δὲ οὐκ ἦν ἄλλως ἐδείξασθαι μὴ τὴν αιτίαν προειρηκότι, ταύτην δὲ βουλόμενος προειπεῖν, ἀναγκαῖον καὶ τῶν κατ᾿ ἐμὲ μνημονεῦσαί τινα.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 46.13-15
He damanded a reply from Anonymus 2534 over the exclusion of Kallinikos 2101 from his monastery

Psellos Letters (K - D) 205, 33.12-235.24
He defended himself against the charge of Ioannes 18 that he followed Plato more than Christ

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 175.444-451
He delivered an oration as Romanos 4 was leaving the city, on a second eastern campaign; he wishes for success in biblical terms, that Romanos will soon return after defeating the new Amalek or Pharaoh [Alp Arslan ?]

Συντακτήριος (καὶ ἐξιτήριος) λόγος πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα.   Psellos Orationes panegyricae XXI, 1-33
He demands that the mouths of wicked men be barred and Michael 4 be freed from slanders. But he has said these things by way of digression

ἐμπεφράχθω γοῦν τοῖς παμπονήροις τὰ στόματα καὶ ἐξῃρήσθω τῶν διαβολῶν ἐκεῖνος ὁ αὐτοκράτωρ. καὶ ταῦτα μὲν παρεκβατικώτερον εἴρηται.   Psellos: Chronographia IV 35.6-9
He described to Michael 11 his delight on eating the potamios hys after a diet of vegetables

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 58.290
He describes the extent of the learning of Ioannes 18 by juxtaposing positive and negative judgements; the encomium breaks off at the end, though it had promised to speak of his death

Psellos Xiphilinos 421
He did not know if any other family was loved by God as much as that of Zoe 1 and Theodora 1, and he was amazed on reflecting that their roots were fixed and planted not lawfully, but by slaughters and bloodshed

οὐ γὰρ οἶδα εἴ τι ἕτερον γένος ὡς τὸ περὶ ἐκείνας ἠγάπηται τῷ Θεῷ καὶ θαυμάζω κατανοῶν ὅτι μὴ ἐννόμως αὐταῖς τῆς ῥίζης παγείσης καὶ φυτευθείσης, ἀλλὰ φόνοις καὶ αἵμασιν.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 1.6-9
He did not know whether to rejoice or weep when writing of the last earthly moments of Michael 11, as the boat put in at the city near which the trial was to take place

Psellos Keroularios 377
He did not know which to be more amazed at, (Romanos 62) transformed at Konstantinos 9's will and choice, or Konstantinos, who had set his heart in harmony with Romanos

ἐγὼ γοῦν οὐκ εἶχον τίνα θαυμάσαιμι πρότερον, τὸν ἄνδρα τοῦτον μεταποιηθέντα πρὸς τὴν τοῦ βασιλέως γνώμην τε καὶ προαίρεσιν, ἢ τὸν αὐτοκράτορα πρὸς τοῦτον μεθαροσάμενον τὴν ψυχήν.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 141.1-4
He discussed his plans as a charistikarios with Romanos 108

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 178.456-457
He dismissed criticisms made of Anonymus 2396 by monks

Psellos Letters (K - D) 77, 108.18-109.3
He does not criticise Isaakios 1 for his attempt (to restore the state), but he does blame him for the timing of his intervention; the third stage can wait: he will dwell further on the second

τῆς μὲν οὖν ἐγχειρήσεως οὐ διαβάλλω τὸν ἄνδρα, ἐπεγκαλῶ δὲ τούτῳ τὸν καιρὸν τῆς διαμαρτίας· ἀλλ᾿ ὁ μὲν τρίτος ἡμᾶς ἀναμεινάτω καιρός, τῷ δὲ δευτέρῳ πλατύτερον ἐμφιλοχωρήσωμεν.   Psellos: Chronographia VII 58.17-21
He does not know how both to preserve historical truth and to apportion appropriate homage to Konstantinos 9; but his excessive precision in historical truth does in fact conserve a part of Konstantinos 9's high reputation

ἀλλ᾿ οὐκ οἶδ᾿ ὅπως καὶ τὴν τῆς ἱστορίας διαφυλάξω ἀληθείαν, κἀκείνῳ τὸ εἰκὸς σέβας ἀπομερίσομαι· ἡ δέ γε τῆς ἐμῆς ἀκριβείας περὶ τὴν ἀληθῆ ἱστορίαν ὑπερβολή ... .   Psellos: Chronographia VI 162.1-5
He does not know whether Zoe 1 scorned royal ornaments in her prime, but in old age she abandoned any will to please

κατωλιγώρει δὲ καὶ βασιλείων καλλωπισμῶν, εἰ μὲν καὶ ἐν ὥρᾳ τῆς ἀκμῆς οὐκ οἶδα, παρηκμακυῖα δ᾿ οὖν τὸ φιλότιμον ἅπαν κατέλυσεν.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 64.3-6
He does not know whether Theodora 1 was returning to her innate character, so show that her past life was a sham, or whether she cultivated (lack of sympathy) so as not to be victim to the masses nor let anyone sway her with tears

οὐκ οἶδα εἴτε πρὸς τὴν ἔμφυτον ἕξιν ἐπανελθοῦσα, ἵνα τὸ φθάσαν τοῦ βίου δείξῃ σκηνήν, εἴτ᾿ ἐπιτηδεύουσα τοῦτο, ἵνα μὴ ἁλωτὸς τοῖς πολλοῖς εἴη, μηδέ τις αὐτὴν κετενέγκοι δακρύων εὐθύς.   Psellos: Chronographia VIa 16.9-12
He does not know whether to praise but cannot blame for what happened next (at Mantzikert): Romanos 4 was himself the recipient of the all the danger; his view is a mean in the controversy

τὸ δὲ μετὰ ταῦτα ἐπαινεῖν μὲν οὐχ ἔχω, ψέγειν δὲ οὐ δύναμαι, αὐτὸς τὸν ὅλον κίνδυνον δέχεται· τοῦτο δὲ μέσον ἐστὶν ἀντιρρήσεως.   Psellos: Chronographia VIIb 21.1-2
He does not now wish to describe whom Anonymi 7011 preferred above the rest, but he will say that they did not completely miss their target, except that he (Michael 6) was not the kind of man to rule but rather one to be ruled and led

ὃν μὲν οὖν τῶν ἄλλων προκεκρίκασιν οὐ νῦν χαρακτηρίζειν βεβούλημαι, οὐ πάντη δὲ τούτους ἀποφανοῦμαι διημαρτηκέναι τοῦ ἀρίστου σκοποῦ, ....   Psellos: Chronographia VIa 20.7-11
He does not say that later Eudokia 1's wisdom changed, but she relaxed her precision and did not keep to the end the same way of thinking; in her defence, even if she changed she did not succumb to pleasures and carnal desires

λέγω δὲ οὐχ ὅτι ... τὴν σωφροσύνην ἠλλάξατο, ἀλλ’ ὅτι τῆς ἀκριβείας ὑφῆκε ...· ἀπολογισαίμην δ’ ἂν ... ὡς οὐδὲ εἴ τι παρηλλοίωτο, ἡδονῶν ἥττηται καὶ σαρκὸς ἐπιθυμίας ἠλάττωται.   Psellos: Chronographia VIIb 4.4-9
He does not speak from a wish to praise (Michael 4) but to narrate what was done

λέγω δὲ οὐκ ἐγκωμιάσαι βουλόμενος, ἀλλ’ ἱστορῆσαι τὰ περπραγμένα.   Psellos: Chronographia IV 34.19-20
He does not talk (of events at Theodora 1's death) from hearsay, but was himself present when the decisions and plans were made, seeing with his eyes and hearing with his ears how Anonymi 7011 tossed imperial affairs as in a game of dice

λέγω δὲ ταῦτα οὐ παρά του ἀκηκοώς, ἀλλ᾿ αὐτὸς τοῖς γνωσθεῖσι καὶ βουλευθεῖσι παραγενόμενος, ὀφθαλμοῖς τε ὁρῶν καὶ ὠσὶν ἀκούων, ὅπως αὐτοῖς ὥσπερ ἐν κύβων παιδιαῖς τὰ τῆς βασιλείας ἐστρέφετο πράγματα.   Psellos: Chronographia VIa 19.12-16
He does not write of Konstantinos 62's words or deeds as the boy has not yet done or uttered anything

γράφω δὲ αὐτῷ οὔτε λόγους τινάς, οὔτε πράξεις, οὔτε γὰρ ἔπραξέ τι οὔτε οὔπω ἐφθέγξατο.   Psellos: Chronographia VIIc 12.4-5
He doubts whether any emperor had profounder wisdom (than Michael 7) or was quicker at hitting the mark on any question; it is agreed that certain deeds and words befit an emperor, others a philosopher and so on, but he encompassed all

οὐ γὰρ οἶδα εἴ τις βαθυγνωμονέστερος ἐγεγόνει τῶν βασιλέων, ἢ πρὸς ἕκαστον τῶν ζητουμένων εὐθυβολώτερος ... τὰ μὲν βασιλέως ἔργα καὶ λόγοι, τὰ δὲ φιλοσόφῳ προσήκοντα, ... τῷ δὲ συνείλεκται ἅπαντα.   Psellos: Chronographia VIIc 4.8-17
He ended the encomium for the death of Styliane 2101 with a complaint of the dreadful finality of the death of one's child and then called on her to come in dreams to console her grieving parents

Psellos Styliane 85-87
He ended the Hypomnenma by addressing the defeated claimant Ioannes 2106, who challenged Basileios 2101 to swear an oath while refusing to swear himself; he proclaimed that this would prevent Ioannes from ever reopening the case

ὁ ἐπαγαγὼν ὅρκον καὶ μὴ ὀμνὺς τὸν τῆς συκοφαντίας, ἔοικε τῷ παραχωροῦντι τὸν ὅρκον, καὶ ἐκπίπτει τῆς ἀγωγῆς.   Psellos Hypomnema 206-218
He expected to hear something too intimate and too grand (from Michael 7), but Michael so abased himself, ranked himself so humbly, so denounced his soul as to move even an adamantine nature to admire his deep humility

κἀγὼ μὲν εἴκαζον ... ἀκροάσασθαι, ἀπορρητότερα εἶναι καὶ κρείττονα· ὁ δέ γε ἐν τούτοις τοσοῦτον κατήνεγκεν ἑαυτὸν καὶ οὕτως παρὰ φαῦλον ἔθετο, καὶ τοσαῦτα κατεῖπε τῆς ψυχῆς, ... .   Psellos: Chronographia VIIc 11.5-10
He explained shooting stars to Anonymus 2528

Psellos Letters (K - D) 197, 222.24-223.18
He explained to Anonymus 2532 why we feel cold in a draught

Psellos Letters (K - D) 203, 231.7-232.4
He expressed affection for Anonymus 2227 and recommended Anonymus 2226 to him

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 106.350
He expressed to Isaakios 1 extreme thanks for a reply to his letters

Psellos Letters (K - D) 215, 257.1-258.20
He gave an address to Romanos 4 at a banquet on behalf of the people of the capital, picturing him as a warrior (probably over the campaign of 1068), thanking him for his efforts and wishing him success in the battles of 1069

Προσφώνησις πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα κῦρ ῾Ρωμανὸν τὸν Διογένην παρὰ τῶν πολιτῶν ἐν κλητορίῳ.   Psellos Orationes panegyricae XX, 1-49
He graciously accepted the apology of Konstantinos 120 for reacting jealously to his promotion

Εἰς τὸν πρωτοπρόεδρον καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν κρίσεων φίλτατον μὲν αὐτῷ τυγχάνοντα, βρραχὺ δέ τι παραβασκήναντα.   Psellos Letters (Gautier) 21.1-71
He had prepared a volume containing many delightful things about Romanos 4

βιβλίον ἐξενεγκὼν ἐπὶ σοί, οἷόν τινα λειμῶνα γέμον ἀνθέων καὶ χάριτος.   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 2.226
He had written many praises of Konstantinos 9 before this work and the public admired the extravagance of the panegyrics; he was not lying in this praise, but others mistook what he was doing

ἐπεὶ ... πρὸ τῆσδε τῆς πραγματείας πολλοὺς ἐκείνῳ καὶ καλοὺς λόγους πεποίημαι, καὶ τάς γε ὑπερβολὰς τῶν ἐγκωμίων ἐθαύμασαν οἱ πολλοὶ, καὶ οὐκ ἐψευσάμην τὸν ἔπαινον, ἀλλὰ τοὺς ἄλλους ἔλαθον οὕτω ποιῶν.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 25.6-10
He hailed Anonymus 2399, whom he had often praised to Konstantinos 10

Psellos Letters (K - D) 80, 110.17-111.6
He hailed the powerful, newly-crowned Romanos 4 as the saviour of Byzantium against barbarians, congratulating Eudokia 1 on her excellent choice

Εἰς τὸν βασιλέα τὸν Διογένην ὅτε ἐβασίλευσεν.   Psellos Orationes panegyricae XVIII, 1-75
He has described Michael 7's behaviour to all, but Michael 7's attitude towards him can sustain neither rivalry nor comparison with others

ταῦτα μὲν οὖν κοινὰ τούτῳ πρὸς ἅπαντας, τὰ δὲ πρὸς τὸν συγγραφέα οὐκ ἔχει πρὸς τοὺς ἄλλους ἅμιλλαν, οὐδὲ σύγκρισιν.   Psellos: Chronographia VIIc 8.1-3
He has given sufficient encomium of Isaakios 1; if one thinks there is also a lesson for the future, this is a task pleasing to the historian

ταῦτα δὲ αὔταρκες μὲν ἐκείνῳ ἐγκώμιον· εἰ δέ τις ἡγοῖτο καὶ πρὸς τὸ μέλλον διασκαλία, ἀρέσκοι ἂν ὁ πόνος τῷ ξυγγραφεῖ.   Psellos: Chronographia VII 51.1-3
He has mentioned earlier in his account (that Konstantinos 9 fell in love with Anonyma 210)

ὥς μοι καὶ ἄνω που τοῦ λόγου λέλεκται.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 151.8-9
He has neither vied with the diffuse accounts of antiquarian historians nor imitated the conciseness of chronicles, so that his composition may neither be burdensome nor omit crucial points; enough of this now

οὔτε τὸ περιρρέον ἐκείνων ἐν τοῖς λόγοις ζηλώσας οὔτε τὸ συντετμημένον τῶν λοιπῶν μιμησάμενος, ἵνα μήτε κόρον ἔχει τὸ σύγγραμμα μήτε παραλίποι τὰ καίρια. Καὶ τοῦτο μὲν ἐς τοσοῦτον εἰρήσθω.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 73.18-74.1
He has never seen a soul more sympathetic than that of Konstantinos 9, either in the past or in anyone today, nor a soul more generous and more becoming to an emperor

συμπαθεστέραν γοῦν ἔγωγε ψυχὴν οὔτε πρὶν ἑωράκειν, οὔτε νῦν ἐν οὐδενὶ τῶν πάντων κατανοῶ, ἀλλ᾿ οὐδὲ φιλοτιμοτέραν ἢ βασιλεῖ πρέπουσαν μᾶλλον.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 169.1-3
He has not measured out his history by Olympiads, nor divided it by seasons, like Thucydides, but simply described what was most important and what he had gathered in his memory when writing

μήτε πρὸς ὀλυμπιάδα ἐτῶν ταύτην ἀναμετρήσας, μήθ᾿ ὡς ὁ συγγραφεὺς πεποίηκεν εἰς τὰς τοῦ ἔτους ὥρας αὐτὴν διελόμενος. ἀλλ᾿ ἁπλῶς οὑτωσὶ τὰ ἐπικαιρότατα ταύτης ὑπαγορεύσας ....   Psellos: Chronographia VI 73.9-13
He has often seen what kind of men the Nazarenes were and passed judegment on them

ὁποίους ἐγὼ πολλάκις ἑωράκειν καὶ κατεγνώκειν.   Psellos: Chronographia VIa 18.20-1
He has previously mentioned that Anonymus 2127 was of obscure birth

ἀνὴρ καὶ τὸ γένος, ὥς μοι δεδήλωται, ἄσημος.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 136.5
He has seen envy touch even emperors: the diadem and purple do not satisfy them, but unless they are wiser than the wise, cleverer than the sharp and in short the absolute summit of all the virtues, they are take it ill

οὐ γὰρ ἀρκεῖ τούτοις ἡ ταινία καὶ ἁλουργίς, ἀλλ᾿ ἢν μὴ τῶν σοφῶν σοφώτεροι εἶεν καὶ τῶν ἀκριβούντων δεινότεροι, καὶ ἁπλῶς εἰπεῖν ὑπερτελεῖς κορυφαὶ τῶν ἁπασῶν ἀρετῶν, ἐν δεινῷ ποιοῦνται τὸ πρᾶγμα.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 74.15-20
He has written a long preface thinking of one who flourished in his day (Georgios 62), showed the skills of generalship, and no less by military daring and experience checked barbarian attacks, wooing for the Romans freedom without danger

πεπροοιμίασται δέ μοι ταυτὶ τὰ πολλὰ ἀφορῶντι πρὸς τὸν ἐν τοῖς καθ᾿ ἡμᾶς χρόνοις ἀνθήσαντα καὶ δείξαντα ὁπόσα μὲν ἡ στρατηγία δεδύνηται, ... τοῖς δέ γε Ῥωμαίοις ἐλευθερίαν ἀκίνδυνον μνηστευσάμενον.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 75.1-6
He heard of the death of Anonymus 2322 from Anonymus 2323

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 196.489-490
He himself saw (the return of Ioannes 68 to the palace), and after receiving with his own eyes the truth of what happened, commits it to writing unchanged

ταῦτα δὲ αὐτὸς ἑωράκειν, καὶ τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς τὴν ἀλήθειαν εἰληφὼς τῶν πραγμάτων ἀμεταποιήτως τῇ γραφῇ δίδωμι.   Psellos: Chronographia V 3.1-3
He hints that behind the elderly nonentity Ophrydas there may lurk a man of greater education and knowledge of the law [Eustratios Romaios? - but he is unlikely to have lived so long]

ἄλλον δέ τινα καὶ λόγου μετέχοντα καὶ τῶν πολιτικῶν ἀντεχόμενον καὶ τὸν προστησόμενον ἱκανῶς εἰδότα τῶν νόμων.   Psellos Against Ophrydas 35-42
He included in his encomium of Ioannes 289 a long comparison between Ioannes and St Paul, then revealed his secret plans to leave Euchaita for a monastery, questioning his motives and speaking against them

Psellos Orationes panegyricae XVII, 620-850
He is aware that to some later historians Konstantinos 9's indiscriminate bestowal of honours will be a source of panegyric

καὶ οὐκ ἀγνοῶ, ὅτι τισὶν ὕστερον συγγραφεῦσιν ἀφορμὴ τοῦτο ἐγκωμίου γενήσεται τῷ ἀνδρί.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 30.5-6
He is not able to assert whether she surrendered herself to Romanos 62, but nevertheless she seemed to love him in return

εἰ μὲν οὖν κἀκείνη ἑαυτὴν ἀπεδεδώκει τῷ ἐραστῇ οὐκ ἔχω διϊσχυρίσασθαι, ἀλλ᾿ ὅμως ἐῴκει ἀντερασθῆναι.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 145.10-12
He is not surprised that Konstantios 61 respected Eudokia 1 as Konstantinos 61 was a child and not yet able to understand affairs: he will not bring himself to praise this respect

τὸ μὲν οὖν Κωνσταντῖνον αἰδεῖσθαι ταύτην, παῖδά τε ὄντα καὶ οὔπω τῶν πραγμάτων ξυνιέναι δυνάμενον, οὔτε θαυμάσομαι, οὔτε ἐπαινέσαι τοῦτον τῆς αἰδοῦς προαχθήσομαι.   Psellos: Chronographia VIIb 2.1-4
He is not writing a flattering narrative (of Michael 7), but a completely true account, let God be witness

οὐ θωπευτικὴν ποιοῦμαι τὴν ἱστορίαν, ἴστω Θεός, ἀλλ’ ἀληθεστάτην.   Psellos: Chronographia VIIb 43.1-3
He is not yet free in this matter, although for him there is no ground for ill will against Romanos 4 nor did everything fail for Romanos 4

οὔπω δὲ ταύτην διαπέφευγα, ὡς μήτ’ ἐμοὶ λαβὴν κακονοίας πρὸς ἐκεῖνον γενέσθαι, μητ’ αὐτῷ τὰ πάντα διαπεσεῖν.   Psellos: Chronographia VIIb 15.9-11
He is particularly well qualified to talk about Konstantinos 10, whom he praised as an ordinary citizen and admired when he became emperor

περὶ τίνος γὰρ ἄλλου τῶν βασιλέων μακρότερον διηγήσωμαι, ὅν και ἰδιώτην ὄντα ἐπῃνεσα, καὶ βασιλέα γεγονότα ἐθαύμασα.   Psellos: Chronographia VIIa 1.6-8
He is refraining at present from detailing every act, but has chosen a middle path between the antiquarians of the reigns and deeds of old Rome and those in our time whose habit is to compose chronicles

... λεπτολογεῖν ἀφίημι νῦν, μέσην δὲ ὁδὸν βαδίζειν προῄρημαι τῶν τε ἀρχαιολογησάντων τὰς τῆς πρεσβυτέρας ῾Ρώμης ἡγεμονίας τε καὶ πράξεις καὶ τῶν εἰωθότων ἐν τοῖς καθ᾿ ἡμᾶς χρόνοις χρονογραφίας συντίθεσθαι.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 73.13-18
He is writing (about Robert 101) on the very day that Robert died

γράφω δὲ ταῦτα καθ’ ἣν ἐκεῖνος ἐτεθνήκει ἡμέραν.   Psellos: Chronographia VIIb 39.4
He knew of no power of divination in Konstantinos 9 and attributed (his optimism) to an easy-going and carefree spirit

ἐγὼ δὲ οὐδεμίαν μαντείας ἀφορμὴν παρὰ τῷ ἀνδρὶ ἐπιστάμενος, ψυχῆς τοῦτο ῥᾳθύμου καὶ ἀφρόντιδος τίθεμαι.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 97.1-3
He knows that Michael 4 manifested total piety as emperor, not only devoting himself to divine churches, but also giving himself up to and doing the utmost service to monks

οἶδα δὲ καὶ τὸν ἄνδρα εὐσέβειαν πᾶσαν μετὰ τὴν βασιλείαν ἐπιδειξάμενον, καὶ οὐ θείοις ναοῖς μόνον προσκείμενον, ἀλλὰ καὶ φιλοσόφοις ἀνδράσι προσανακείμενον καὶ ὑπερφυῶς θεραπεύοντα.   Psellos: Chronographia IV 34.1-4
He knows the qualities in Ioannes 68 which are to be praised and those which are not altogether excellent

τὰ μὲν αὐτῷ τῶν ἐπαινουμένων ἐπίσταμαι, τὰ δὲ οὐ πάνυ οἶδα σπουδαῖα.   Psellos: Chronographia IV 12.5-6
He listed the many documents produced in connection with Vivarion, in one case seeking to demonstrate identity of author by analysis of handwriting and orthography, in another case rebutting criticism based on comparison of dates

Psellos Hypomnema 47-120
He maintains, with God as his witness, that although Konstantinos 9 was afflicted and overwhelmed by such great ills and so absolutely wretched he never uttered a word of blasphemy against God

λέγω δὲ ἐν τούτοις διατεινόμενος καὶ Θεὸν τοῦ λόγου ποιούμενος μάρτυρα, ὅτι τοσούτοις κακοῖς διαντλούμενός τε καὶ κυμαινόμενος καὶ οὕτως ἀθλίως ἔχων παντάπασιν, οὐδέποτε βλάσφημον πρὸς Θεον ἀφῆκε φωνὴν.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 131.1-4
He may have written to Michael 2107 about a commentary on Hermogenes' Staseis by Anonymus 2341, the expert Anonymus 2342, and the great man Anonymus 2343 (with his relation Anonymus 2344); or this letter may belong to somebody else

Psellos Letters (K - D) 20, 26.1-27.18
He may have written to Michael 2107, still asking of Anonymus 2344

Psellos Letters (K - D) 22, 28.25-30.3
He may have written to Michael 2107, asking of Anonymus 2344

Psellos Letters (K - D) 21, 27.19-28.24
He must return to the original order and treatment of his account

ἐπανιτέον αὖθις ἐπὶ τὴν πρώτην τοῦ λόγου τάξιν καὶ μεταχείρισιν.   Psellos: Chronographia VIa 13.1-2
He need not mention the name of the leader of the forces (Theodoros 105) who was ambivalent or, in his opinion, one-sided (i.e. supporing Isaakios 1)

ὅ τε τῶν δυνάμεων προηγούμενος, τοὔνομα δὲ οὐδὲν δέομαι λέγειν, ἀμφιρρεπὴς ἦν, ὡς δ᾿ ἐγῷμαι μονομερής.   Psellos: Chronographia VII 11.18-19
He offered Anonymus 2535 a choice of cheese or letter, wrote the letter and then he gave the cheese

Psellos Letters (K - D) 206, 235.24-238.15
He often asked favours from Anonymus 2456 for people like Anonymus 2455

Psellos Letters (K - D) 137, 163.13-164.13
He omitted above all else to mention Konstantinos 9's physical condition when first he became emperor, from what prime and vigorous strength he was transformed to the opposite state ...; he will insert this here, beginning from his prime

ὁ δέ με πρὸ τῶν ἄλλων διέλαθεν, ὅπως ἐκεῖνος ἔσχεν εὐθὺς βασιλεύσας τοῦ σώματος, ἐξ οἵας τε ἀκμῆς καὶ εὐτονωτάτης ἰσχύος εἰς ἐναντίαν ἕξιν μετήμειπτο, ... ἐνταυθοῖ θήσω ἀπὸ τῶν ἐναντίων ἀρξάμενος.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 124.1-7
He praised Ioannes 18 for becoming a legal expert so early in life, while Anonymus 168 had assumed that precocious knowledge of the law was against nature and therefore somehow bad; he pointed out the absurdity of this view

Psellos Against Ophrydas 374-488
He praised Michael 7, who had restored him to his position at court after a period of exclusion, the result of a false accusation; his encomium includes military as well as personal characteristics

Λόγος προσφωνηματικὸς πρὸς τὸν κῦρ Μιχαὴλ τὸν Δούκαν.   Psellos Orationes panegyricae XIII, 1-67
He praised Konstantinos 10 for his spectacular victory over the Uzes, which he compared favourably to those of Moses and Alexander; he called on Konstantinos' children not to be discouraged by his example, but to emulate him

Δημηγορία εἰς τὸν βασιλέα τὸν Δούκαν.   Psellos Orationes panegyricae XIV, 1-89
He praised Konstantinos 2103 for his letters and hoped his exile would end

Κωνσταντίνῳ τῷ ῾Ιεράκι ἐν ἐξορίᾳ ὄντι.   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 123.370-372
He praised Anonymus 2463 to Anonymus 2164 orally in the capital and by letter

Psellos Letters (K - D) 144, 170.15-171.13
He praised Anonymus 2589 and longed to join him

Psellos Letters (K - D) 267, 311.18-313.8
He praised the Atticism of Ioannes 2110, and the text on the Trinity he sent

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 125.373
He praised the recently installed Michael 7 as a young, accessible and cultivated ruler following bad times

Psellos Orationes panegyricae VIII, 1-123
He praised the sweet letter of Leon 62, but asked for more

Psellos Letters (K - D) 87, 115.25-116.18
He presented the De omnifari doctrina to Michael 7

᾿Αποκρίσεις συνοπτικαὶ καὶ ἐξηγήσεις πρὸς ἐρωτήσεις διαφόρους καὶ ἀπορίας γραφεῖσαι πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα κυρὸν Μιχαὴλ τὸν Δούκαν.   Psellos De omnifari doctrina t.
He pretends to be nervous in speaking of the reforms of Konstantinos 9, because he will have to speak of himself as high in the meritocracy

Psellos Xiphilinos 421
He realised that Konstantinos 9 controlled his anger like a charioteer restraining a spirited horse: the blood rushed to his face, his body, suddenly stirred in anger, recovered itself yet more quickly and he immediately turned to reason

ἐμὲ γοῦν οὐκ ἐλάνθανεν ὥσπερ τις ἡνίοχος τὸν θυμικὸν ἵππον ἀνακρουόμενος· ἐξανθῆσαν αὐτῷ τὸ αἶμα ἐπὶ τῆς ὄψεως, τό τε σῶμα ἀθρόως αὐτῷ κινηθὲν καθίστατο ἀθροώτερον καὶ τῷ λογισμῷ εὐθὺς μετεβάλλετο.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 164.7-11
He received a fish from Konstantinos 13, which he hoped was a symbol of reconciliation

Psellos Letters (K - D) 245, 295.3-296.19
He received a letter from Symeon 2102, showing he was alive and had entered a monastery

Τῷ μοναχῷ Συμεὼν τῷ Κεγχρῇ.   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 54.284-287
He received a letter from Katakalon 101 and told him to approach Konstantinos 10 over non-payment of his salary

Psellos Letters (K - D) 59, 91.20-92.24
He received a letter from Anonymus 2477 about Anonymus 2478, and replied

Psellos Letters (K - D) 159, 185.5-187.5
He received an attractive letter from Anonymus 2230, and asked him to write more

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 109.353
He recommended Anonymus 2171 to Anonymus 2168

ἑλέσθαι ὃ βούλεται τῶν θεματικῶν πρωτονωταράτων.   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 34.268-269
He recommended Anonymus 2334 to Anonymus 2297

Psellos Letters (K - D) 6, 7.17-8.21
He recommended Anonymus 2339 to Anonymus 2338

Psellos Letters (K - D) 10, 12.1-11
He recommended Anonymus 2415 to Anonymus 2413

Psellos Letters (K - D) 91, 119.13-120.7
He recommended Anonymus 2538 to Ioannes 289 (?)

Psellos Letters (K - D) 217, 260.1-13
He recommended Anonymus 2553 to Anonymus 2554

Psellos Letters (K - D) 241, 291.7-18
He recommended that Nikolaos 2104 devote himself to the Theotokos and the Acheiropoietos monastery

Psellos Letters (K - D) 124, 148.6-149.6
He recommended the unknown Leon 2105 to Anonymus 2438

Psellos Letters (K - D) 122, 146.16-147.8
He reluctantly wrote to Konstantinos 13 over Anonymus 2163

Τῷ πρωτοβεστιαρίῳ τῷ Λειχούδῃ.   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 28.262-263
He repeated an invitation to Anonymus 2345

Psellos Letters (K - D) 23, 30.4-21
He repeatedly rejected history-writing because of Konstantinos 9, not in the least wishing to attribute blame to him and reveal in his account any actions not to his credit which it is right should pass unnoticed

διὰ τοῦτον γοῦν ἐγὼ τὸν ἄνδρα τὴν ἱστορίαν ἀπεπεμπόμην ἀεὶ, ἥκιστα βουλόμενος προστρίψασθαί τινα μῶμον αὐτῷ, καί τινα τῶν οὐ καλῶς αὐτῷ πεπραγμένων καὶ ἅ λανθάνειν καλὸν ἀνακαλύψαι τῷ λόγῳ.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 23.8-11
He replied to Konstantinos 120, who had invited him to his wedding

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 83.318-321
He replied to Pothos 102 by describing Anonymus 433

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 204.497-499
He replied to Konstantinos 2104 that it was impossible to make a simple summary of the Aristotelian Organon

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 205.499-502
He replied to Basileios 2104's despair over his theme

Psellos Letters (K - D) 96, 124.3-125.9
He replied to Anonymus 2614 about the onomastic relationships of the two Basileioi and the two Gregorioi

Psellos Philosophica minora I, 17-22
He replied to a request from Ioannes 62 that he felt too old

Psellos Letters (K - D) 213, 252.3-253.26
He replied to complaints by Ioannes 289 that his letters lacked respect

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 183.467
He replied with additions to a letter of Anonymus 2432 on the workings of providence

Psellos Letters (K - D) 115, 142.11-143.9
He reported to Anonymus 2398 about attempts to rescue him from his problems

Psellos Letters (K - D) 79, 109.19-110.16
He responded to Anonymus 2550's letter about Anonymus 2551

Psellos Letters (K - D) 230, 274.10-275.29
He responded to the brief libel of Anonymus 2133 (and other lost writings) with 321 lines, full of aggressive vocatives

Psellos Poema 21.1-321
He said Anonymus 2526 was an Arabian dog of poor character

Psellos Letters (K - D) 195, 221.19-222.13
He said he envied Anonymus 2232, who had been visited by Anonymus 2233

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 111.356
He said that Anonymus 2304 had no excuse for not writing

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 179.458-459
He saw Konstantinos 9's well-formed fingers deny their proper shape, bent about into hollows and projections and quite incapable of grasping anything

εἶδον ἐγὼ τοὺς εὐφυεῖς ἐκείνῳ δακτύλους ἀπαρνησαμένους μὲν τὸ οἰκεῖον σχῆμα, ἀντικαμφθέντας δὲ εἰς εἰσοχάς τε καὶ ἐξοχάς, ὡς μηδὲ τοῦ τυχόντος περιδράττεσθαι δύνασθαι.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 128.15-18
He saw practically none of the emperors of his day - and there were many in his lifetime since the majority were only year-long - who conducted their reign liberally through to the end

ὥσπερ οὐδένα τῶν ἐπ’ ἐμοῦ βεβασιλευκότων ἐθεασάμην (λέγω δὲ πολλοὺς ἐπιμετρῶν τῷ ἐμῷ βίῳ, ὅτι περ οἱ πλείους αὐτῶν ἐνιαύσιοι), ὥσπερ οὖν οὐδεὶς τούτων ἐλευθέρως τὴν βασιλείαν διήνεγκεν.   Psellos: Chronographia IV 11.1-4
He sent Konstantinos 10 three leukoskaroi (fish)

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 48.280
He sent Konstantinos 120 another virtuoso letter

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 86.326-330
He sent Anonymus 2300 two grammatikoi, Anonymus 2429 and Anonymus 2430, describing their differences

Psellos Letters (K - D) 111, 139.11-140.30
He sent Ioannes 62 a kind of hazel-nut, smaller than usual

Psellos Letters (K - D) 235, 285.18-286.14
He sent Ioannes 62 first-fruits of common foods - bread, wine and fruit

Psellos Letters (K - D) 260, 306.17-307.6
He sent Anonymus 2584 a skaros to begin a friendship

Psellos Letters (K - D) 263, 308.24-309.12
He sent a letter thanking Anonymus 2427 for helping Anonymus 2428

Psellos Letters (K - D) 110, 138.18-139.10
He sent a letter to (Ioannes 62) with a gift of walnuts

Psellos Letters (Gautier) 26.1-18
He sent a letter to Anonymus 2161 thanking him for fruit and Anonymus 2162

Μοναχῷ ᾿Ολυμπίτῃ.   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 27.262
He sent a long letter and eulogy to Isaakios 1 on campaign

Τῷ βασιλεῖ τῷ Κομνηνῷ ἐν ταξειδίῳ ὄντι.   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 69.300-304
He sent a redundant reminder to Anonymus 2473 about Anonymus 2474

Psellos Letters (K - D) 157, 183.5-16
He sent an encomium to Eudokia 1 with a gift of bread, wine and fruit

Psellos Letters (K - D) 271, 316.1-18
He sent another encomium to Eudokia 1 with a gift of bread, wine and fruit

Psellos Letters (K - D) 272, 316.19-317.6
He sent another note on behalf of Anonymus 2494 thanking Anonymus 2493

Psellos Letters (K - D) 167, 192.18-27
He sent four fish to Konstantinos 10 with symbolic meanings

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 104.346-347
He speaks of Konstantinos 10 on the basis of his own perceptions and opinions, not from hearsay; others may boast of Konstantinos 10's many great successes, but for him one thing balances all this

... αὐτὸς περὶ πάντων αἰσθήσεσιν αὐταῖς καὶ γνώμαις ἀκριβωσάμενος· ὁ μὲν γὰρ σεμνυνέσθω πολλοῖς καὶ καλοῖς κατορθώμασι, ἐμοὶ δὲ ἓν τοῦτο ἀντὶ πάντων ἀρκεῖ.   Psellos: Chronographia VII 86.1-4
He speaks the truth in saying that it was not scientific reason that turned him from secular studies to Christian faith, but a divine power possessed him; may Mary and Christ be merciful if his deeds did not always match his word

ἐμοὶ δέ, ἵνα τἀληθὲς εἴποιμι, οὐδ᾿ ὁ ἐπιστημονικὸς λόγος τὴν ἀποστροφὴν τούτων δεδώρηται, ἀλλὰ μέ τις θειοτέρα κατέσχηκε δύναμις ... εἰ καὶ παρήλλαξα ταῖς πράξεσι τὸ πρὸς τὸν λόγον ἀνάλογον.   Psellos: Chronographia VIa 12.1-16
He stopped talking about Romanos 62 a while ago

ὁ ὑποκριτὴς ἐκεῖνος ἀνήρ, περὶ οὗ δὴ λέγων βραχύ τι ἐπεπαύμην.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 155.1-2
He suffers the same emotions in writing about Michael 7 as he often did in looking at and admiring him: he cannot stop admiring him; no one should be disbelieving or suspicious because he writes during Michael 7's lifetime

... οὐ γὰρ ἔχω ὅπως θαύματος ἐπέκεινα τὸν ἄνδρα ποιήσομαι, καὶ μή τις διαπιστοίη τῷ λόγῳ ἢ ἐς ὑποψίαν φέροι τὰ γραφησόμενα, ὅτι ἐπὶ ζῶντι τῷ βασιλεῖ ταῦτα γεγράφαται.   Psellos: Chronographia VIIc 1.5-10
He talked subsequently with some of those who had led Zoe 1 away (and they descibed to him her reactions)

ὡς δ’ ἐγώ τισιν ὕστερον τῶν ἀπαγαγόντων αὐτὴν συνωμίλησα, φασίν, ....   Psellos: Chronographia V 22.1-2
He talks of the astrologers as he himself knows about their science, having long studied it and been of profit to many of them in their understanding of planetary aspects; but he does not believe that our affairs are directed by astral movements

... τὴν μὲν ἐπιστήμην καὶ αὐτὸς εἰδώς, ἐκ πολλοῦ μελετήσας καὶ πολλοῖς ἐκείνων λυσιτελήσας εἰς τὰς τῶν σχημάτων κατανοήσεις, οὐ μέντοιγε πειθόμενος ὡς ἄγοιτο ταῖς τῶν ἄστρων κινήσεσι τὰ ἡμέτερα.   Psellos: Chronographia V 19.12-15
He thanked Michael 11 for a potamios hys, the best of fishes

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 56.287-289
He thanked Michael 11 for cheese, but the fish had been incomparably better

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 59.290-291
He thanked Anonymus 2219 for his letter, but would still go to Olympos

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 101.343-344
He thanked Anonymus 2244 for the favour done to Ioannes 2111

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 127.374-375
He thanked Michael 11 for an edible snake (?) tasty enough to seduce Adam and Eve

τῷ πατριάρχῃ κῦρ Μιχαήλ.   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 164.422
He thanked Anonymus 2274 for his support of Anonymus 2275

Psellos Letters (K - D) 1, 1.1-19
He thanked Anonymus 2191 for friendship and gifts

Psellos Letters (K - D) 75, 107.5-22
He thanked Anonymus 2300 for generosity to Anonymus 2418

Psellos Letters (K - D) 94, 122.1-21
He thanked Anonymus 2573 for fulfilling his request for Anonymus 2572 more completely than expected

Psellos Letters (K - D) 253, 301.6-20
He thinks that Ioannes 68 wished to transfer control of affairs to Konstantinos 9101, not himself attacking the emperor (Michael 5), but giving Konstantinos the opportunity for plotting

ὡς γὰρ οἶμαι, βουλόμενος πρὸς ἕνα τῶν ἐκείνου ἀνεψιαδῶν, ..., τὴν τῶν πραγμάτων μεταθήσειν ἀρχήν, οὑχ ὡς αὐτὸς τῷ βασιλεῖ ἐπιθησόμενος ἀλλ’ ὡς ἐκείνῳ δώσων τὰς τῆς ἐπιβουλῆς ἀφορμάς.   Psellos: Chronographia V 10.15-19
He threatened Anonymus 2537 that friendship might turn to enmity

Psellos Letters (K - D) 216, 258.21-259.24
He told Ioannes 62 of the birth of his grandson

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 72.307-308
He told Anonymus 2205 not to reject his poor letters, but to give rich replies

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 92.336-337
He told Anonymus 2209 that he got things done as ruler of rulers, e.g. for Anonymus 2210

ἄρχων ἀρχόντων εἰμί.   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 95.338-339
He told Anonymus 2246 to help collect taxes in Macedonia

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 129.375-376
He told Anonymus 2272 of the problems of Anonyma 2131, and gave advice on the job of krites

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 146.394-395
He told Anonymus 2335 to get on with business and ignore gossip

Psellos Letters (K - D) 7, 8.22-9.7
He told Ioannes 289 that one brief visit was not enough, and he needed more

Psellos Letters (K - D) 15, 18.18-19.19
He told Pothos 102 that he no longer had to demand a military levy

Psellos Letters (K - D) 53, 84.8-85.17
He told Ioannes 289 to welcome Anonymus 2173 to Euchaïta

Psellos Letters (K - D) 54, 85.18-87.13
He told Anonymus 2362 he was frantic for news of his success

Psellos Letters (K - D) 62, 94.18-95.29
He told Anonymus 2381 about Anonymus 2382, who complained of inconsistent verdicts on his case

Psellos Letters (K - D) 65, 99.3-24
He told Anonymus 2385 to re-examine the case of Anonymus 2384

Psellos Letters (K - D) 66, 99.25-100.15
He told Anonymus 2389 to return the cash to Anonymus 2391 so as to have the peasant houses rebuilt

Psellos Letters (K - D) 70, 103.13-104.2
He told Anonymus 2394 that Anonymus 2395 needed a tax assessment and a dinner invitation

Psellos Letters (K - D) 76, 107.23-108.17
He told Anonymus 2402 of the proposals of Anonymus 2403 over monoprosopon tax payments

Psellos Letters (K - D) 82, 111.23-112.17
He told Anonymus 2416 (?) about Elias 2101

Psellos Letters (K - D) 93, 121.1-25
He told Ioannes 62 how to protect his crops from caterpillars

Psellos Letters (K - D) 102, 130.8-131.11
He told Ioannes 62 to hunt with various animals against all kinds of prey

Psellos Letters (K - D) 186, 205.1-206.9
He told Ioannes 62 that it was pointless sending a letter with a melon

Psellos Letters (K - D) 237, 287.11-288.11
He told the monks of Mt Ganos that they had too high an opinion of his influence

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 150.398-399
He took the letters of Anonymus 2213 to the emperor, who would probably soon relent

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 97.341
He tried to reconcile Katakalon 101 with Anonymus 2349

Psellos Letters (K - D) 30. 43.15-46.12
He tried to return to court after tonsure, asking Anonymus 2234 about his likely reception

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 114.358-359
He used extensive passages from Plato's Phaedrus to convict the founders of Nea Mone of using Hellenic madness, thus tainting Michael 11 with heresy

Psellos Kategoria 224-280
He used extensive passages from Proklos to convict the founders of Nea Mone of using Chaldaian concepts, again tainting Michael 11 with heresy

Psellos Kategoria 281-366
He used the vocabulary of the hippodrome asking Anonymus 2217 to govern Anonymus 2218 as a charioteer drives a horse

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 100.343
He uses patristic misogyny against Dosithea 2101, mentioning cross-dressing, irrationality and shameless movements, including Michael 11 in the condemnation several times

Psellos Kategoria 1030-1245
He usually attributes to divine providence the management of great affairs, or rather attaches to her everything which occurs, if our natural condition is not corrupted

ἐγὼ δὲ εἰωθὼς εἰς τὴν τοῦ θείου πρόνοιαν τὰς περὶ τῶν μειζόνων διοικήσεις ἀναγαγεῖν, ἢ μᾶλλον καὶ τἄλλα ἐκείνης ἐξαρτῶν ὁπόσα, μὴ παρατραπείσης ἡμῖν τῆς κατὰ φύσιν ἕξεως, γίνεται.   Psellos: Chronographia IV 30.1-4
He was amazed at the scene (of Michael 5 and Konstantinos 64 at the altar) and awestruck at the chorus of ills; but it was in fact a brief prelude to worse tragedies: these he will tell in turn

τήν γε σκηνὴν ἀπεθαύμαζον, καὶ τὴν τῶν παθημάτων χορείαν ἐξεπληττόμην· τὸ δὲ ἦν ἄρα βραχύ τι προοίμιον χειρόνων τραγῳδιῶν· εἰρήσεται δὲ κατὰ μέρος ταῦτα.   Psellos: Chronographia V 43.11-14
He was asked by Anonymus 2509 to write to Anonymus 2508

Psellos Letters (K - D) 176, 198.8-21
He was forced to justify to Anonymus 2229 his promotion as proedros

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 108.352-353
He was grieved at the time to see everything going up in flames (squandered on Anonyma 210) and no less pained now - he if anyone is a lover of the Romans and of his country - he blushes for his master and emperor (Konstantinos 9)

ἐγὼ δὲ καὶ τότε μὲν ἐθρήνουν ὁρῶν τὰ πάντα οὕτω διστυφόμενα, καὶ νῦν οὐδὲν ἔλαττον ἀλγυνόμενος (εἰμὶ γὰρ εἴπερ τις ἄλλος φιλορώμαιος καὶ φιλόπατρις), ἔτι τῷ ἐμῷ δεσπότῃ καὶ βασιλεῖ ἐπαισχύνομαι.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 154.1-4
He was not very enthusiastic (to write) about contemporary topics, especially because he knew that in many matters he would clash with Konstantinos 9 and he would be ashamed if he did not offer complete eulogy to him

... οὐ πάνυ τι περὶ τὰς καθ᾿ ἡμᾶς ὑποθέσεις ἐσπούδασα, καὶ μάλισθ᾿ ὅτι περ ἐν πολλοῖς τοῦ αὐτοκράτορος Κωνσταντίνου καθάψεσθαι ᾔδειν, ὑπὲρ οὗ αἰσχυνοίμην ἄν, εἰ μὴ πᾶσαν εὐφημίαν τούτῳ συνεισενέγκαιμι.   Psellos: Chronographia VII 23.1-5
He was present at the events themselves (of Michael 4's reign) and learned of others which were more secret from those who were close to the emperor; he is a fair judge, unless one criticises his account of what he has seen and heard

ἐγὼ ἐν αὐτοῖς παρεντυχὼν τοῖς πράγμασι, τὰ δὲ καὶ παρὰ τῶν πεπλησιακότων ἐκείνῳ μεμαθηκὼς ..., δίκαιός εἰμι δικαστής, εἰ μή μοί τις τῶν λόγων μέμφοιτο ὧν τε τεθέαμαι καὶ ὧν ἠκηκόειν.   Psellos: Chronographia IV 38.5-9
He was requested to assist the substance of history (?) and prevent the past before his time from being thought worthy of record by posterity, but events in his own day being obscured in the depths of forgetfulness

διά ταῦτά με βοηθῆσαι ἠξίουν τῇ φύσει τοῦ πράγματος, καὶ μὴ τὰ μὲν ἄνω που πρὸ ἡμῶν ἀναγραφῆς παρὰ τὼν μεταγενεστέρων ἠξιῶσθαι, τὰ δὲ ἐφ᾿ ἡμῶν πεπραγμένα λήθης καλυφθῆναι βυθοῖς.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 22.8-11
He was responsible for much of Byzantine theological education at the time, and produced scores of small works for his students, some inspired by their questions and those of others, on the Bible and other theological issues

Psellos Theologica I, passim
He was the instigator of the plan to send missives deposing Romanos 4, as he himself says in his historical account of this

τούτου δὲ τοῦ βουλεύματος εἰσηγήτης ὁ Ψελλὸς γέγονεν, ὡς καὶ αὐτὸς ἐν τῇ περὶ τούτου φησὶ συγγραφῇ.   Zonaras 18.15.6
He was urged to the task (of writing history) by the arguments mentioned (above), but did not greatly welcome the enterprise, not relinquishing the undertaking through laziness but fearing one of two dangers

οἱ μὲν οὖν οὕτως καὶ μετὰ τοιούτων λογισμῶν πρὸς τὸ πρᾶγμα ὑπῆγον, ἐγὼ δὲ οὐ πάνυ τι τὴν τοιαύτην πραγματείαν ὑπεδεχόμην, οὐ καθυφεὶς τὴν ὑπόθεσιν ῥαθυμίᾳ, ἀλλὰ δυοῖν θατέρῳ δεδιὼς διακινδυνεῦσαι.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 22.11-15
He well knows that many will probably narrate the life of Michael 4 in chronicles with some differences from his report, since notions contrary to the truth prevailed in Michael 4's own times

πολλοὶ μὲν οὖν εὖ οἶδ’ ὅτι τὸν ἐκείνου βίον εἰς χρονικὰς ἱστορίας ἀνενεγκόντες ἄλλο τι παρὰ τὴν ἡμετέραν ἴσως γραφὴν ἀφηγήσονται· ἡ γὰρ τοῦ ἐναντίου ὑπόνοια τῆς ἀληθείας μᾶλλον ἐν τοῖς κατ’ ἐκεῖνον χρόνοις ἐκράτει.   Psellos: Chronographia IV 38.1-5
He will add that Michael 7 knew he was about to write about him, and ordered him not to write until the emperor himself had set out the main points of his character; then Anonymus 7044 read to him what Michael 7 had written

καὶ τοῦτο δὲ προσθήσω τοῖς εἰρημένοις· διεγνώκει με οὗτος ὁ βασιλεὺς μέλλοντα τοῦτον ἐξιστορεῖν, καὶ ἐπιτάξας μὴ γράφειν μέχρις ἂν αὐτὸς ἐκδοίη τῶν ἑαυτοῦ τρόπων κεφάλαια, ....   Psellos: Chronographia VIIc 11.1-5
He will complete the rest of the account (of Konstantinos 10's accession)

ἵνα γὰρ προβιβάσω τῷ λόγῳ τὸ λεῖπον.   Psellos: Chronographia VIIa 11.1
He will describe Konstantinos 10's reign, the nature of his acts, his policies, his initial position and the ends he reached, his objectives, his successes, innovations, his admirable acts and those not so, his civil and military policies

ὁποῖον δὲ αὐτῷ καὶ τὸ κράτος καὶ ὁ τῶν πράξεων χαρακτήρ, τίνας τε γνώμας συνεισηνέγκατο τῇ ἀρχῇ, καὶ οἵας ἀρχὰς τεθεικὼς ἐφ’ οἷα τέλη διέδραμεν, οἷός τε αὐτῷ ὁ σκοπὸς τῆς ἡγεμονίας, ....   Psellos: Chronographia VII 92.1-8
He will describe a short case of Konstantinos 9's generosity for those who love to listen

ἀμέλει καὶ βραχεῖαν τῆς τοιαύτης αὐτῷ ἀρετῆς τοῖς φιληκόοις ὑπόθεσιν διηγήσομαι.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 170.1-2
He will describe another more terrible uprising against Konstantinos 9, its origins and causes from the outset, the nature and source of the preceding rebellion, who dared undertake both and by whom he was encouraged to devise usurpation

... ὁπόθεν τε γέγονε προλαμβάνων καὶ τίνας ἀρχὰς ἔσχηκε, καὶ ἡ ἀποστασία τίς προὔλαβε καὶ ἥτις αὕτη καὶ ὅθεν, τίς τε ὁ τολμήσας ἀμφότερα καὶ τίσι τεθαρρηκὼς τὴν τυραννίδα διαμεμελέτηκε.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 98.6-12
He will describe something which is very good proof (that Eudokia 1 did not enjoy being empress)

ἐρῶ δέ τι τούτου σύμβολον μέγιστον.   Psellos: Chronographia VIIb 4.12-13
He will first run back a little before this (the first war against Konstantinos 9), providing a head, as it were, for his creation; The proverbs say "Fine things are burdensome": as a result envy creeps down even on the few

μικρὸν δὲ καὶ τούτου ἄνωθεν ἀναδραμοῦμαι, κεφαλὴν ὥσπερ τῷ ὑφαινομένῳ παρεχόμενος σώματι. Χαλεπὰ τὰ καλὰ, φασὶν οἱ παροιμιαζόμενοι, ἀλλὰ καὶ οὕτως ἐχόντων ἕρπει καὶ κατὰ τῶν ὀλίγων ὁ φθόνος.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 74.4-7
He will instruct those who do not know as to the characters of Zoe 1 and Theodora 1

ἵνα δέ τι καὶ περὶ τῶν ἠθῶν ταῖν βασιλίδαιν ἀναδιδάξω τοὺς οὐκ εἰδότας.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 4.1-2
He will leave (Konstantinos 10's wilfulness) here and investigate the record of his humanity and wisdom, as he has spoken about Konstantinos' justice; but he now recalls and will recount something that escaped him earlier

τοῦτο μὲν ἐνταυθοῖ κείσθω, ὁ δὲ τῆς φιλανθρωπίας λόγος ἐξεταζέσθω αὐτῷ, ὡς δὲ καὶ ὁ τῆς φρονήσεως, τὸν γὰρ τῆς δικαιοσύνης ἀποδεδώκαμεν· ὃ δέ με ἄνω διέλαθεν, τοῦτο νῦν ἀναμνησθεὶς διηγήσομαι.   Psellos: Chronographia VIIa 18.14-18
He will leave Konstantinos 9's public acts for the many who wish to record them, but disclose a part of his private acts that are a topic of talk and ambivalent between praise and blame: he elevates those that gave him his high reputation

... τῶν δ᾿ ἀπορρήτων βραχύ τι μέρος ποιήσομαι ἐκφανές, ὅπερ ἐν μέσῳ τοῖς λόγοις κείμενον καὶ ἀμφίβολον ὂν τοῖς τε ἐπαινοῦσι καὶ ψέγουσιν, ἐγὼ τῶν ἄλλων ἐξαίρω ὁπόσα αὐτῷ τὴν κρείττονα ὑπόληψιν ἔσχηκε.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 167.1-6
He will leave aside for the moment Romanos 4's period in captivity and the decisions made about him by Alp Arslan 51

ὁ μὲν οὖν ἐν τῇ αἰχμαλωσίᾳ τοῦ βασιλέως χρόνος ἀναμείνατω καὶ ὅ τι τῷ κρατήσαντι περὶ τούτου συνδέδοκται.   Psellos: Chronographia VIIb 23.1-3
He will leave aside the many intervening events (before the decree relegating Eudokia 1)

ἵνα τὰ ἐν μέσῳ πολλὰ ὄντα ἐάσω.   Psellos: Chronographia VIIb 30.4-5
He will let flow a long account of Konstantinos 9 when he launches himself onto the sea of Konstantinos 9's leadership

περὶ οὗ δὴ πολὺς ἡμῶν ἐπιρρεύσει λόγος, ἐπειδὰν εἰς τὸ τῆς ἡγεμονίας ἐκείνου πέλαγος ἀφῶμεν αὑτούς.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 14.4-5
He will linger for a little in his account on how and for what reason (Isaakios 1 chose as successor Konstantinos 10)

οἷον δὲ τοῦτο τὸ μέρος καὶ ὅθεν, βραχύ τι προσδιατρίψω τῷ διηγήματι.   Psellos: Chronographia VIIa 9.1-2
He will not explain here how it happened that Michael 11 was expelled from Constantinople, as it would be a long story; anyone wishing to arbitrate (on his quarrel with Isaakios 1) would blame one for the start and the other for the end

ἀλλὰ τοῦτο μὲν ὅπως ἐπέπρακτο μακροῦ λόγου δεόμενον ἀναβάλλομαι νῦν· εἰ γάρ τις βούλοιτο ἀμφοῖν διαιτᾶν, τὸν μὲν τῆς ἀρχῆς καταιτιάσαιτο, τὸν δὲ τῆς τελευτῆς ἐπιμέμψαιτο ....   Psellos: Chronographia VII 65.7-11
He will not falsify his opinion (on allocation of power after Mantzikert)

οὐ γὰρ διαψεύσομαί γε τὴν ἐμὴν δόξαν.   Psellos: Chronographia VIIb 24.4
He will not go through all the details of Michael 7's financial expertise

ἵνα μὴ καθ’ ἕκαστον λέγω.   Psellos: Chronographia VIIc 2.22
He will not now give the reason why Romanos 4 insisted that he join the campaign, since he is abbreviating many things in his history, but he will tell when he writes about these things

λέγειν μὲν οὖν τὴν αἰτίαν, δι’ ἥν με ἑαυτοῦ παντάπασιν ἐποιήσατο, νῦν μὲν οὐκ ἂν εἴποιμι, τῆς ἱστορίας τὰ πολλὰ συντέμνων, ἐρῶ δὲ ὁπότε περὶ τούτων ξυγγράφοιμι.   Psellos: Chronographia VIIb 15.6-9
He will not yet describe Michael 4's talent for argument, but will return to the beginning again and show how Michael immediately took thought for the careful management of affairs

ἀλλ’ οὔπω περὶ τούτων. ὁ δὲ λόγος εἰς ἀρχὴν αὖθις ἀποκαθιστάσθω καὶ δεικνύτω ὠς ὁ βασιλεὺς εὐθὺς τῆς ἀκριβοῦς τῶν πραγμάτων ἐφρόντισε διοκήσεως.   Psellos: Chronographia IV 8.6-9
He will not yet speak of Konstantinos 9, but set out some brief points for the attentive ear

ὁ δέ γε Κωνσταντῖνος, ἀλλὰ μήπω περὶ αὐτοῦ, βραχέα δέ τινα καθίσταμαι πρὸς τὴν φιλήκοον ἀκοήν.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 21.5-7
He will not yet talk about this (his own service to Konstantinos 9), but will tell how and for what reasons and by what fortunes Konstantinos 9 came to the imperial rule

ἀλλ᾿ οὔπω μὲν περὶ τούτων· εἰρήσθω δὲ ὅπως κἀκ τίνων αἰτιῶν, τίσι τε χρησάμενος τύχαις ἐπὶ τὸ βασιλεύειν ἐλήλυθεν.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 15.4-6
He will omit Michael 5, who reigned wretchedly and relinquished the power more wretchedly

ἵνα δὴ τὸν ἀνεψιὸν παραλίπω, ὡς ἀθλίως μὲν βεβασιλευκότα, ἀθλιώτερον δὲ τοῦ κράτους ἀποβεβηκότα.   Psellos: Chronographia VII 55.2-4
He will omit other things and as for the main element of the grief of Konstantinos 9, the work which he did on the tomb of Maria 64, he will defer that and put it in its proper place, narrating first what preceded this subject

... τὸ δέ γε κεφάλαιον τῶν ἐκείνου παθῶν, ἣν δὴ πραγματείαν ἐπὶ τῷ ἐκείνης τάφῳ πεποίηται, νῦν μὲν ἀναβάλλομαι, ποιήσομαι δὲ ἐν καιρῷ, προϊστορήσας ὁπόσα τῆς ὑποθέσεως ταύτης προγέγονεν.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 71.1-5
He will put it more clearly and return to his earlier metaphor (by describing the state as a monstrous animal under Konstantinos 9)

ἵνα δὴ ἐναργέστερον εἴπω ὁμοῦ δὲ καὶ πρὸς τὴν προτέραν ἐπανέλθω τροπήν.   Psellos: Chronographia VII 55.10-11
He will recall the main points of his speech (to Isaakios 1) as far as he can remember

ἐπιμνησθήσομαι γοῦν τῶν κεφαλαίων τοῦ διαλόγου ὁπόσον μὴ ἐπιλέλησμαι.   Psellos: Chronographia VII 26.17-18
He will speak at some length about Zoe 1, while Konstantinos 9 is sleeping with Maria 64

λεγέσθω γάρ τι πλέον περὶ αὐτῆς, ἕως ἂν τῇ σεβαστῇ αὐτοκράτωρ συναναπαύηται.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 65.1-3
He will tell a part (of Romanos 62's crimes), anticipating a subject which his subsequent account will touch on

ἐρῶ δὲ μέρος τι προαφαρπάσας ἧς ὁ μετὰ ταῦτα λόγος ἅψεται ὑποθέσεως.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 145.4-5
He will tell in advance the whole tale concerning Maria 64: to those who saw and heard it the business seemed incredible

ἵνα δὴ πάντα τὸν περὶ ταύτης προλάβω λόγον, τῶν ἀπίστων ἐδόκει τὸ πρᾶγμα ὁρώμενόν τε καὶ ἀκουόμενον·.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 56.6-7
He wishes in his account to give more detail about Ioannes 68: nothing vain nor false will be said, since when just getting a beard he saw and heard Ioannes 68, witnessed his actions and characterised him precisely

περὶ δὲ τούτου καὶ πλέον τι ὁ λόγος διελθεῖν βούλεται, ἐρεῖ δὲ οὔτε τι κενόν, οὔτε διεψευσμένον· .   Psellos: Chronographia IV 12.1-5
He wishes to give a prior narrative, so that his account might advance methodically; he must recall previous events and link them into his account

βραχὺ δὲ τούτου προαφηγήσασθαι βούλομαι, ἵνα καθ’ ὁδὸν ἡμῖν ὁ λόγος προΐοι· καί μοι τῶν προτέρων ἀναμνηστέον καὶ συναπτέον ἐκείνοις τὸν λόγον.   Psellos: Chronographia V 34.1-3
He wishes to interrupt his account briefly and tell what this term 'mutilated' means

τοῦτο δὲ τί ποτέ ἐστι, βραχὺ διακόψας τὸν λόγον ἐρεῖν βούλομαι.   Psellos: Chronographia V 42.1-2
He wondered when he would see Eustratios 101 again: would the army stop before India?

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 124.372
He would be ungrateful and entirely unreasonable if he did not repay in very small part, by showing gratitude through his writings, the things he had received (from Konstantinos 9), some in actual deeds, others as a means to improvement

ἀγνώμων γὰρ ἂν εἴην καὶ πάντη ἀλόγιστος, εἰ μὴ ὧν ἐκεῖθεν τὰ μὲν ἐν αὐτοῖς ἔργοις, τὰ δὲ εἰς ἀφορμὴν κρειττόνων ἔσχηκα, πολλοστὸν ἀντιδοίην μέρος, τὴν διὰ τῶν λόγων εὐγνωμοσύνην.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 23.5-8
He would call Konstantinos 9's first act one of youthful folly, but his second he knows that he praised at the time and now no less he counts as noble, that is Konstantinos 9's lack of pomposity and malice

τοῦτο μὲν οὖν πρῶτον ἐκείνου, ἵν᾿ οὕτως εἴποιμι νεανίευμα, δεύτερον δὲ ὃ καὶ αὐτὸς καὶ τότε ἐπαινῶν οἶδα καὶ νῦν δὲ οὐδὲν ἧττον ἐν καλοῖς τίθεμαι, οὔτε ἀλάζων ὤφθη τισίν, ... οὐδὲ μνησικαήσας ....   Psellos: Chronographia VI 31.1-7
He would have kept quiet about that great movement and upheaval if he had not known that he would have been silent about the most crucial event of his Chronography

ὅθεν κἂν ἀπεσιώπησα τὴν μεγάλην ἐκείνην φορὰν καὶ συγκίνησιν, εἰ μή γε ᾔδειν τὸ καιριώτατον τῆς χρονογραφίας κατασιγάσας.   Psellos: Chronographia V 24.16-19
He would have wished that Konstantinos 9, if none of the other emperors, had had the lot (of being blameless), but events do not proceed according to our desires

ἐγὼ μὲν οὖν ἐβουλόμην, εἰ καὶ μηδέ τῳ τῶν πάντων, ἀλλὰ τῷ γε ἐμῷ αὐτοκράτορι τοῦτο προσεῖναι τὸ μέρος, ἀλλ᾿ οὐχὶ κατὰ τὰς ἡμεδαπὰς αἱρέσεις αἱ τῶν πραγμάτων ἀκολουθίαι.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 28.1-4
He wrote (or rewrote) simple introductions in verse for Michael 7 on the inscriptions of the psalms, the Song of Songs, the Christian faith, the councils, the nomocanon, grammar, a summary of the laws and 3 riddles

Psellos Poema 1-6, 8, 35-37 (tit.)
He wrote a 4-line epigram in praise of Leon 62

Τοῦ αὐτοῦ εἰς τὸν πρωτοσύγκελλον.   Psellos Poema 28.1-4
He wrote a chrysobull granting to Epiphanios 2101 and his heirs permanent title to the estates of Phlorion and Galataria; the end of the document repeats several times that none of the others involved could possibly have a claim on them

Psellos Epiphanios 1-149
He wrote a chrysobull offering alliance to Robert 61, with marriage between their children, titles of honour and wealth for Robertos and his men in return for military aid; it was signed by all the emperors and the patriarch

Χρυσόβουλλον ... σταλὲν πρὸς τὸν ῾Ρόμπερτον παρὰ τοῦ βασιλέως κυροῦ Μιχαὴλ τοῦ Δούκα.   Psellos Robert 1-154
He wrote a contemptuous reply to a letter from Pherebios 2101

τῷ μοναχῷ Φερεβίῳ.   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 167.424-428
He wrote a funeral encomium for his own daughter, Styliane 2101, for whom he had high hopes, but who died of disease [smallpox ?] while she was still young

εἰς τὴν θυγατέρα Στυλιανὴν, πρὸ ὥρας γάμου τελευτήσασαν.   Psellos Styliane 62-87
He wrote a funeral encomium of Nikolaos, founder and later kathegoumenos of the monastery of Horaia Pege on Mt Olympos, with several indications of performance before the monks in the church of the monastery

᾿Εγκώμιον εἴς τινα Νικολάον καθηγούμενον τῆς ἐν τῷ ᾿Ολύμπῳ μονῆς τῆς ὡραίας Πηγῆς.   Psellos Nikolaos of Horaia Pege 1-1016
He wrote a hypomnema on the case between Ioannes 2106 and Basileios 2101 over possession of an estate called Vivarion

Τοῦ αὐτοῦ ὑπόμνημα ἕτερον.   Psellos Hypomnema 1-220
He wrote a job-application to Leon 62

Psellos Letters (K - D) 72, 104.18-105.8
He wrote a letter as from Konstantinos 9 to Anonymus 2281, rejoicing at his conversion

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 155.405-406
He wrote a letter to Anonymus 2143 discussing the niceties of starting a correspondence

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 11.241-245
He wrote a letter to Anonymus 2603 which begins obscurely and collapses into lacunas

Psellos Letters (Gautier) 37.1-45
He wrote a letter to accompany a gift of flowers to Eudokia 1

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 132.377
He wrote a long and opaque letter to Anonymus 2525

Psellos Letters (K - D) 189, 209.25-212.19
He wrote a long encomium of his dead mother, stressing her uncompromising religious faith and the ways in which she prepared him for educational and literary success

᾿Εγκώμιον εἰς τὴν μητέρα αὐτοῦ.   Psellos Mother 3-61
He wrote a long letter complaining that Anonymus 2348 called him a wasp

Psellos Letters (K - D) 28, 35.24-41.23
He wrote a long letter of encomium to Isaakios 101 after he set out against the Pechenegs, with three special points

Τῷ Κομνηνῷ στρατεύσαντι κατὰ τῶν Πατζινάκων.   Psellos Letters (K - D) 156, 178.18-183.4
He wrote a long letter to Michael 11, stressing that he had always supported him but complaining explicitly of the patriarch's total lack of consistency in responding to him

Τῷ Μιχαὴλ Κηρουλαρίῳ.   Psellos Letters (Maltese) 16.1-104
He wrote a monody for Anastasios 2101, speaking of losing him twice, first at his paralysis and then at his death; his sympathy for a student with whom he shared many interests caused a deep sense of loss and profound grief

᾿Επιτάφιος εἰς τὸν ᾿Αναστάσιον.   Psellos Monodies (Gautier) 107-112
He wrote a monody for the death of Ioannes 272, metropolitan of Melitene, largely a genre exercise showing little knowledge of the deceased

Εἰς τὸν σοφώτατον μητροπολίτην Μελιτηνῆς.   Psellos Monodies (Gautier) 98-104
He wrote a monody on Eirene 20117, wife of Ioannes 62 kaisar, a family he knew well; he had postponed the writing to avoid exaggeration due to raw emotion

Psellos Eirene 155-189
He wrote a monody on an anonymus patrikios, who had once been a fellow-student and had now become a close friend; he had died suddenly at a tragically early age

Psellos Monodies (Gautier) 135-143
He wrote a monody on his old student Romanos the repherendarios

Μονῳδία ἐπὶ ῾Ρωμανῷ ῥαιφερενδαρίῳ.   Psellos Monodies (Gautier) 128-132
He wrote a monody on the death of Michael 2109, long after the sad event, because he had been waiting for his grief to die down

Μονῳδία εἰς τὸν πρόεδρον κῦρ Μιχαὴλ τὸν ῾Ραδηνόν.   Psellos Monodies (Gautier) 115-126
He wrote a monody on the terrible earthquake of 23 September 1063, with a little description of the terror caused, and far more discussion of the reasons: divine anger at human sin

Εἰς τὸν σεισμὸν τὸν γενόμενον τῇ εἰκοστῇ τρίτῃ τοῦ σεπτεμβρίου μηνὸς τοῦ Προδρόμου.   Psellos Monodies (Gautier) 145-151
He wrote a panegyric for Konstantinos 9 [surely one of his first imperial commissions], which contained a fairly detailed summary of recent history (1043 summary)

ἀλλὰ νῦν τῆς ἱστορίας ἀπάρχεται ... Λόγος εἰς τὸν βασιλέα τὸν Μονομάχον.   Psellos Orationes panegyricae II, 1-834
He wrote a panegyric to Konstantinos 9 stressing philosophy and education, which was apparently delivered before his pupils, whom he recommended to the emperor at the end

Εἰς τὸν αὐτὸν βασιλέα.   Psellos Orationes panegyricae VI, 1-345
He wrote a panegyric to Konstantinos 9, stressing his justice and mercy, his widening of Byzantine boundaries and his construction of beautiful buildings, like the Mangana complex and the tomb of Zoe

Εἰς τὸν βασιλέα τὸν Μονομάχον.   Psellos Orationes panegyricae VII, 1-117
He wrote a parody of a canon satirising the monk Iakobos of the monastery of Synkellos for his consumption of wine [in one ms. it is connected to the 4-line version of the Anonymus 2133 Sabbaities poem, which seems irrelevant]

ἡ ἀκροστιχὶς ῾Μέθυσον ᾿Ιάκωβον εὐρύθμως ᾄδω, Κώνστας᾿.   Psellos Poema 22.1-231
He wrote a poem for the coronation of Isaakios 1, which took place on the kalends of September, giving information on the kalends, nones and ides

Πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα τὸν Κομνηνὸν τὸν ᾿Ισαάκιον περὶ καλανδῶν νόννων καὶ εἰδῶν.   Psellos Poema 18.1-58
He wrote a report for Michael 7 (or Konstantinos 10) on a carved stone

Psellos Letters (K - D) 188, 207.23-209.24
He wrote a request in iambics to Michael 4, asking for a position among the imperial notarioi; he speaks of the clearing of a great and dangerous cloud which had threatened to quench Michael's light (the Bulgarian revolt?)

Psellos Poema 16.1-17
He wrote a short encomium devoted explicitly more to the eastern rather than the western successes of Konstantinos 10, but with a possible reference to the invasion of the Uzes (ll. 22-24)

Τῷ αὐτῷ.   Psellos Orationes panegyricae IX, 1-56
He wrote a speech for the second trial of Lazaros 2101, trying to persuade the Synod to return to the views they expressed at the first, to accept the annulment of Lazaros' deposition and banishment and to reinstate him

᾿Απολογητικὸς ὑπὲρ τοῦ Φιλιππουπόλεως Λαζάρου καθαιρεθέντος.   Psellos Apologetikos 1-2 (tit.)
He wrote a speech of general praise for Konstantinos 9's all-round qualities; at the climax (ll. 79-80), he praises him for aqueduct construction in terms reminiscent of Orationes panegyricae I, ll. 238-244 - hence the suggested date

Τῷ αὐτῷ βασιλεῖ.   Psellos Orationes panegyricae III, 1-84
He wrote a treatise based on texts referring to the Incarnation, directed from Michael 7 to the sultan Malik-Shah 51; the latter, according to the text, had shown interest in Christian doctrine

Τοῦ ὑπερτίμου καὶ ὑπάτου τῶν φιλοσόφων κυροῦ Μιχαὴλ τοῦ Ψελλοῦ ἀπόδειξις ἀπὸ διαφόρων λόγων τῆς τοῦ κυρίου ἐνσωματώσεως· ἐστάλη πρὸς τὸν σουλτάνον ἀπὸ τοῦ βασιλέως.   Psellos Malik-shah 1-605
He wrote about Anonymus 2188 to Anonymus 2187

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 55.287
He wrote again to Konstantinos 120 about his wedding

Τοῦ Ψελλοῦ ἐπιστολὴ πρώτη πρὸς τὸν πρωτοπρόεδρον κῦρ Κωνσταντῖνον τὸν δρουγγάριον.   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 1.219-222
He wrote again to Michael 2105 about Ioannes 2108 and the mule

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 67.299
He wrote an elaborate eulogy of Ioannes 289

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 182.462-465
He wrote an elaborate speech for delivery to the patriarchal synod, seeking the condemnation of the patriarch Michael 11; because of the latter's death, it was never delivered

Πρὸς τὴν σύνοδον κατηγορία τοῦ ἀρχιερέα.   Psellos Kategoria tit., 1-5
He wrote an encomium for Konstantinos 9 with conventional praise shading into clear and brief allusions to specific events, leaving a more complete treatment to others; he includes reference to Konstantinos' generosity to himself

Λόγος πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα κῦριν Κωνσταντῖνον Μονομάχον.   Psellos Orationes panegyricae V, 1-159
He wrote an encomium for Eudokia 1 as patroness, praising her physical and moral attributes, especially her political wisdom in choosing Romanos 4 as emperor; he finally emphasised his own poverty, which threatened to silence him

Τῇ αὐτῇ ἐγκώμιον.   Psellos Orationes panegyricae XII, 1-61
He wrote an encomium for Anonymus 2536, who had re-established defences for the Roman world

Psellos Letters (K - D) 207, 238.16-241.2
He wrote an encomium of Konstantinos 9, with a list of the latter's achievements and virtues

Λόγος εἰς τὸν βασιλέα κῦρ Κωνσταντῖνον τὸν Μονομάχον.   Psellos Orationes panegyricae I, 1-385
He wrote an encomium of Theodora 1, speaking of an unspecified great evil from which the capital had been spared (the plague ?), Theodora's personal virtues and the promotion of an unnamed legal expert

Psellos Orationes panegyricae XI, 1-132
He wrote an encomium of Ioannes 289 for delivery in his presence, returning eloquent praise to his teacher of eloquence while still alive; he spoke of his education, his government carreer, his appointment to Euchaïta and retirement plans

᾿Εγκώμιον εἰς ᾿Ιωάννην τὸν θεοσεβέστατον μητροπολίτην Εὐχαϊτῶν καὶ πρωτοσύγκελλον.   Psellos Orationes panegyricae XVII, 1-869
He wrote an encomium of the patriarch Konstantinos 13 shortly after his death, stressing his virtues and the depth and especially the breadth of his learning: the readers would bear witness to this

᾿Εγκώμιον εἰς τὸν ὁσιώτατον κῦρ Κωνστντῖνον πατριάρχην τὸν Λειχούδην.   Psellos Leichoudes 388-419
He wrote an encomium of the patriarch Ioannes 18 shortly after his death, because it is important that extraordinary ability and virtue should be remembered

᾿Επιτάφιος εἰς τὸν μακαριώτατον πατριάρχην κῦρ ᾿ιωάννην τὸν Ξιφιλῖνον.   Psellos Xiphilinos 421
He wrote an encomium of the patriarch Michael 11 to be presented at his tomb before Konstantinos 10 and Eudokia 1, probably on the anniversary of his death

᾿Εγκωμιαστικὸς εἰς τὸν μακαριώτατον πατριάρχην κῦρ Μιχαὴλ τὸν Κηρουλάριον.   Psellos Keroularios 303 (tit.)
He wrote an encomium to Konstantinos 10 stressing combined success in East and West

Psellos Letters (K - D) 29, 41.24-43.14
He wrote an iambic poem of celebration for Isaakios 1 at the end of his first year of reign; a false prophecy had predicted that he would die in August, and now September had begun

Αὔγουστος ὢν Αὔγουστον ἀσπάζου πλέον.   Psellos Poema 19.1-108
He wrote an iambic poem on the death of Maria 64, including anguish over the event, then the laments of Maria's mother (Helena 101), brother (Romanos 104) and of Konstantinos 9, ending with his own consolation for the bereaved

Τοῦ ὑπερτίμου Κωνσταντίνου τοῦ Ψελλοῦ στίχοι ἰαμβικοὶ εἰς τὴν τελευτὴν τῆς Σκληραίνης.   Psellos Poema 17.1-448
He wrote an improvised encomium on Romanos 4, who was setting out against the Turks in mid-winter, spurning his new wife and the delights of his new imperial position; he wished him every success in battle

Τῷ αὐτῷ ὡς ἐν ἐγκωμίου πρσχήματι.   Psellos Orationes panegyricae XIX, 1-46
He wrote asking Anonymus 2156 to write to him

Τῷ ἐπὶ τῶν οἰκειακῶν.   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 23.259-260
He wrote complaining that Anonymus 2172 had not reported on Anonymus 2173

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 35.269-270
He wrote criticising Anonymus 2348's antilogia

Psellos Letters (K - D) 27, 34.19-35.23
He wrote from central Asia Minor to Konstantinos 120, about the campaign of Romanos 4

Psellos Letters (Snipes) 1.1-38
He wrote of the icon of the Theotokos in the monastery of Kathara (not a letter)

Psellos Letters (K - D) 194, 220.19-221.18
He wrote once to Anonymus 2204, afraid he was disturbing him

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 91.335-336
He wrote part of a chysobull on transactions between Michael 7 and Konstantinos 120, nephew of Keroularios, protoproedros and droungarios of the vigla

Τοῦ αὐτοῦ ὡς ἀπὸ προσώπου τοῦ βασιλέως.   Psellos Actum 2 1 (tit.)
He wrote simple introductions in verse for Konstantinos 9 on the inscriptions of the psalms, the Song of Songs, the Christian faith, the councils and grammar

Psellos Poema 1-4, 6 (tit.)
He wrote telling Anonymus 2471 that he had sent him Anonymus 2472

Psellos Letters (K - D) 155, 177.18-178.17
He wrote thanking Anonymus 2568 for saving Anonymus 2569 (according to the latter)

Psellos Letters (K - D) 249, 298.12-26
He wrote that Christ gave Eudokia 1 an apple, wine and bread

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 53.284
He wrote the hypomnema of the trial between himself and Elpidios 2101 over the annulment of the engagement between Elpidios and Psellos' own adopted daughter Euphemia 103; though he lost the verdict, he gained what he wanted

Τὸ ἴσον τοῦ γεγονότος ὑπομνήματος παρὰ τοῦ αὐτοῦ μοναχοῦ Μιχαὴλ τοῦ Ψελλοῦ ... ἐπὶ τῇ δίκῃ αὐτοῦ ....   Psellos Hypomnema 2-4
He wrote three short letters to a spiritual father Anonymus 2615

Εἴς τινα πατέρα πνευματικόν.   Psellos Letters (Maltese) 13-15
He wrote to Ioannes 62 about truffles and the life-threatening illness of Euphemia 103

Psellos Letters (K - D) 233, 281.9-284.5
He wrote to Romanos 4 congratulating him on a victory

Πρὸς τὸν αὐτὸν βασιλέα ἐν ἐκστρατεία διάγοντα.   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 3.224-227
He wrote to Romanos 4 in despair at the emperor's long absence

Τῷ αὐτῷ ἐν ταξειδίῳ ὄντι.   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 6.230-232
He wrote to Leon 62 that he was now satisfied of his great asceticism

Τῷ πρωτοσυγκέλλῳ.   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 7.232-234
He wrote to Leon 62 complaining that communication was now impossible

τὴν ἀσώματον οἶδας διάλεκτον.   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 9.238-240
He wrote to Leontios 2101 that he had sent a letter to Leon 62, using a middle style

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 10.240-241
He wrote to Anonymus 2144, who had been the butt of humour in an encomium

Τῷ ἐπὶ τῶν δεήσεων.   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 12.245-248
He wrote to Anonymus 2146 dividing philosophy into the abstract and the practical

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 17.256-257
He wrote to Anonymus 2148 about Anonymus 2149

βουλόμενον οὖν με εἰς ἐκδίκησιν διαναστῆναι τοῦ πράγματος, ὁ βασιλεὺς διεδέξατο.   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 18.257
He wrote to Anonymus 2150 recommending Anonymi 2108

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 19.257-258
He wrote to Anonymus 2151, recommending the Athenian Anonymus 2152

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 20.258
He wrote to Anonymus 2153 about the problems of Anonymus 2154

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 21.258-259
He wrote to Anonymus 2155, promising help

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 22.259
He wrote to Anonymus 2164 about Anonymus 2158

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 24.260; (K - D) 142, 169.13-26
He wrote to Nikolaos 2102 while mourning Anastasios 2101

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 25.260-261
He wrote to Anonymus 2160, advising against a transfer to another theme

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 26.261-262
He wrote to Anonymus 2164 about his monastery of Medikion

Τῷ κριτῇ τοῦ ᾿Οψικίου τῷ Ζωμᾷ.   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 29.263-265, 77.311
He wrote to Romanos 108 about the Artigenes monastery

Τῷ Κυζίκου.   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 30.265-266
He wrote to Anonymus 2168 to recommend Anonymus 2169

Psellos Letters (K - D) 74, 106.11-107.4 (Sathas 32.267-268)
He wrote to Anonymus 2168 about Anonymus 2170

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 33.268
He wrote to Ioannes 18 about following him to Olympos

Psellos Letters (K - D) 273, 317.7-318.3 (Sathas 36.270)
He wrote to Ioannes 18, unhappy in the palace (as a monk)

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 37.270-271
He wrote to Chasanes 102 about Michael 2104 and his sick wife

Τῷ βεστάρχῃ καὶ κριτῇ Μακεδονίας τῷ Χασάνῃ.   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 39.272
He wrote to Aimilianos 61 that he was always thinking of him

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 42.275
He wrote to Anonymus 2179 about Anonymus 2178

διὰ τὴν συγγένειαν.   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 43.276
He wrote to Ioannes 18 asking him for a letter

Τῷ μαΐστορι τῷ Ξιφιλίνῳ.   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 44.276-277
He wrote to Konstantinos 120 against Symeon 2101

Τῷ μαγίστρῳ Κωνσταντίνῳ καὶ σακελλαρίῳ.   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 45.277-278
He wrote to Konstantinos 120 about Anonymus 2181

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 46.278-279
He wrote to Anonymus 2182 about his notarios Anonymus 2183

Τῷ κριτῇ τῶν Θρᾳκησίων τῷ Ξηρῷ.   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 47.279
He wrote to Anonymus 2184 assuring him of his intervention for him with the emperor

Τῷ κριτῇ Παφλαγονίας.   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 49.280-281
He wrote to Anonymus 2185 about Anonymus 2186

Τῷ κριτῇ Μακεδόνων.   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 50.281-282
He wrote to Anonymus 2187 discussing administrative arrangements in Optimaton

καθίσματος [...] ταξεώτῃ.   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 60.291-292, (K - D) 106, 136.1-14
He wrote to Aimilianos 61 in favour of Nikolaos 2103

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 61.292-294
He wrote to Anonymus 2191, a good friend who wrote only rarely

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 62.294-295
He wrote to Ioannes 62 about Anonymus 2191

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 63.295-296
He wrote to Anonymus 2192 about Anonymus 2193

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 64.296
He wrote to Anonymus 2194 introducing Anonymus 2195

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 65.297
He wrote to Michael 2105 about Ioannes 2108 and a mule

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 66.297-298
He wrote to Anonymus 2196 and Anonymi 2109 on campaign with Isaakios 1

Τοῖς ἐν τῷ ταξειδίῳ νοταρίοις τοῦ αὐτοῦ βασιλέως.   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 70.305-306
He wrote to Ioannes 62, hunting on his estates at Choirobakchoi, wanting contact

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 71.306-307
He wrote to Michael 11 that the magic fish still dominated his thoughts

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 57.289
He wrote to Anonymus 2198, telling him to write humbly to Konstantinos 13

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 73.308-309
He wrote to Michael 7 with a gift of two bunches of grapes

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 74.309
He wrote to Anonymus 2187 about Basileios 2102

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 75.309-310
He wrote to Anonymus 2200 about a dispute between Anonymi 2110 and the people of Lysokraneia (?)

Λυσοκρανίτας.   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 76.310
He wrote to Anonymus 2164 about his three monasteries in Opsikion, Kathara, Medikion and the new Mergala Kellia

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 77.311
He wrote to Anonymus 2201 about Anastasios 2101

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 78.311-312
He wrote to Anonymus 2194, recommending aid for Kyzikos and Romanos 104

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 79.312-313
He wrote to Ioannes 289 about opponents from Euchaita and Anonymus 2173

Τῷ Εὐχαΐτων.   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 80.313-314
He wrote to Isaakios 1 with a eulogy as he was setting out to fight the barbarians

Τῷ βασιλεῖ τῷ Κομνηνῷ ὅτε κατὰ τῶν βαρβάρων ἐξῆλθε.   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 81.315-316
He wrote to Konstantinos 120, after attending his philosophical wedding

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 84.321-324
He wrote to Konstantinos 120, regretting his loss of creativity

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 85.324-326
He wrote to Anonymus 2203, asking to receive letters from him

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 87.330-331
He wrote to Anonymus 2206 with hopeful news about a return from exile

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 93.337-338
He wrote to Anonymus 2207 recommending Anonymus 2208

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 94.338
He wrote to Anonymus 2211 exploring their common lameness (physical and/or metaphorical?)

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 96.340-341
He wrote to Anonymus 2214 about his imperial business and about Anonymus 215

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 98.341-342
He wrote to Anonymus 2216 about the rich Michael 2106 who entered the poor Morocharzanes monastery

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 99.342-343
He wrote to Nikephoros 63 about Anonymus 2222

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 103.344-346
He wrote to Anonymus 2228 about the poor state of their relationship

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 107.351
He wrote to Basileios 2104, complaining of excessive praise in Basileios' letter and offering advice

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 110.354-356
He wrote to Aikaterine 101 about his devotion to Isaakios 1 and her

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 112.356-358
He wrote to Theodoros 101 about a letter he had sent to Isaakios 1

τῷ ἀνεψιῷ τοῦ βασιλέως τοῦ Κομνηνοῦ.   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 113.358
He wrote to Konstantinos 9 after tonsure, eager to see him again immediately

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 115.359-362
He wrote to Anonymus 2235 about Anonyma 2124, who delivered the letter

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 116.362-363
He wrote to Nikephoros 111, welcoming demands made on him for letters

τῷ γενικῷ, τῷ ἀνεψιῷ τοῦ πατριάρχου.   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 117.363-364
He wrote to Leon 62 with many desperate images of death

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 118.365-367
He wrote to Anonymus 2240 suggesting a system of post-horses

κόντουρα.   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 122.370
He wrote to Anonymus 2243, urging continued support for Anonymus 2242

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 126.373-374
He wrote to Anonymus 2251, seeking to mediate his dispute with Anonymus 2252

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 131.376-377
He wrote to Anonymus 2257, asking for help for Anonymus 2256

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 134.378
He wrote to Anonymus 2260 about Anonymus 2261

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 136.379-380
He wrote to Anonymus 2262 about Anonymus 2263

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 138.381
He wrote to Anonymus 2267 about a visit from Anonymus 2268

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 140.383
He wrote to Anonymus 2269 about Christophoros 2101, and the statues

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 141.383-384
He wrote to Anonymus 2270 over Anonymus 2271

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 142.384-385
He wrote to Anonymus 2273 introducing Prokopios 2101

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 147.395-396
He wrote to Anonymus 2274 about his petition, with a note on Anonymus 2275

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 148.396-397
He wrote to Ioannes 61, asking for imperial favour for Anonymus 2278

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 151.399-400
He wrote to Ioannes 62, playing hard to get over attempts to win him back

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 152.400-402
He wrote to Anonymus 2279 about Elias 2101

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 153.402-403
He wrote to Anonymus 2280 about Elias 2101

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 154.403-404
He wrote to Ioannes 62 asking for contact

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 156.406-409
He wrote to Anonymus 2285 about Cappadocian monks

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 158.412
He wrote to Michael 11 demanding renewal of his friendship

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 159.412-414
He wrote to Michael 11, saying that access to him had only slightly increased

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 160.414-416
He wrote to Isaakios 1 with a eulogy based on few facts, including praise of Isaakios' family

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 161.416-419
He wrote to Anonymus 2287 over one nomisma for Anonyma 2137

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 163.421-422
He wrote to Anonymus 2289, asking for protection for Anonymus 2275

τῷ μαγίστρῳ καὶ στρατηγῷ ᾿Αβύδου.   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 165.423-424
He wrote to Anonymus 2292 recently installed as kathegoumenos on Olympos

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 166.424
He wrote to Anonymus 2293 who refused money sent him by Psellos

τῷ μαΐστωρι τῶν Χαλκοπρατίων, ὅταν ἀπεστάλησαν αὐτῷ τὰ ἀργυρᾶ τοῦ κλητωρίου καὶ οὐ παρέλαβεν αὐτά, διὰ τὸ ζητεῖν πλείονα.   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 168.429-430
He wrote to Epiphanios 2101 with advice about the court

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 169.430-431
He wrote to Anonymus 2294, praising Isaakios 101 and his two nephews, the recipient and Theodoros 101

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 170.432-434
He wrote to Anonymus 2297 a long discussion of the rational and the irrational

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 171.434-438
He wrote to Chasanes 102, recommending Anonymus 2298

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 172.439-440
He wrote to Ioannes 289 about Anonymus 2299

τῷ μητροπολίτῃ Εὐχαΐτων.   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 173.440-441
He wrote to Nikephoros 111, defending difficulty in philosophical texts

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 174.441-443
He wrote to Konstantinos 13 about his desperate state on Olympos

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 177.455-456
He wrote to Anonymus 2306 describing a visit to Philadelpheia

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 180.459-461
He wrote to Aimilianos 61 about Anonymus 2307

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 181.461-462
He wrote to Konstantinos 120 that he had missed the playfulness of his letter

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 184.469
He wrote to Anonymus 2310 listing the criticisms the latter had made

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 185.469-470
He wrote to Konstantinos 120 that he was in a military phase

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 186.470-473
He wrote to Anonymus 2164 about the latter's plans for tonsure

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 190.483-485
He wrote to Anonymus 2196 and Anonymi 2109, with no idea where they were

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 191.485-486
He wrote to Anonymus 2313 about Anonymus 2275

Psellos Letters (K - D) 64, 97.21-99.2 (Sathas 192.487-488)
He wrote to Anonymus 2319 about Anonymus 2317

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 194.488-489
He wrote to Anonymus 2325 about a serious illness

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 197.490
He wrote to Anonymus 2326 stressing his uniqueness and asking why he could not find employment

τὸ τοῦ Σαβίνου [...] τρίμηνον.   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 199.493
He wrote to Anonymus 2327 in favour of Anonymus 2328

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 200.494
He wrote to Ioannes 289 about their developing dialogue

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 202.495-496
He wrote to Michael 11 listing differences existing between the two of them

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 207.505-513
He wrote to Anonymus 2337 about Anonymus 2336

Psellos Letters (K - D) 9, 10.1-11.28
He wrote to Anonymus 2340, thinking of dangers from the local population

Psellos Letters (K - D) 11, 12.12-13.23
He wrote to Romanos 108 relating how the two had met

Psellos Letters (K - D) 12, 13.24-14.23
He wrote to Ioannes 289 demanding a visit

Psellos Letters (K - D) 14, 17.7-18.17
He wrote to Romanos 2103 asking for exercises in schedographia

Psellos Letters (K - D) 16, 19.20-20.19
He wrote to Esaias 2102, handing over a reluctant student, Anonymus 2346

Psellos Letters (K - D) 24, 31.13-23
He wrote to Georgios 2101 to arrange an exchange of tablets

Psellos Letters (K - D) 25, 31.24-33.6
He wrote to Georgios 2101, praising his new boldness in epistolary combat

Psellos Letters (K - D) 26, 33.7-34.18
He wrote to Konstantinos 120 during his trial

Psellos Letters (K - D) 31, 46.13-49.23
He wrote to Synetos 2101 about Basilaion

Psellos Letters (K - D) 32, 49.24-50.23
He wrote to Ioannes 289 about waning creativity and the death of Anonymus 2355

Psellos Letters (K - D) 33, 50.24-53.11
He wrote to Ioannes 289, mocking his wish to return to the capital

Psellos Letters (K - D) 53.12-56.18
He wrote to Pothos 102 about making money and Anonymus 2357

Psellos Letters (K - D) 35, 56.19-58.15
He wrote to Nikolaos 2104, discussing tactics for persuading Konstantinos 10

Psellos Letters (K - D) 37, 60.16-62.21
He wrote to Pothos 102 about a charistikion for the monastery of Trapeza

Psellos Letters (K - D) 38, 62.22-63.25
He wrote to Pothos 102 about a dispute in Opsikion between Atzikome and Thyrides

Psellos Letters (K - D) 39, 63.26-65.22
He wrote to Ioannes 62, complaining that he rarely visited him

Psellos Letters (K - D) 40, 65.23-66.30
He wrote to Pothos 102 on the reception of his letter

Psellos Letters (K - D) 41, 67.1-69.2
He wrote to Pothos 102 about an imperial commission to measure disputed land

Psellos Letters (K - D) 42, 69.3-70.25
He wrote to Anonymus 2362 about Anonymus 2363's reception

Psellos Letters (K - D) 43, 70.26-73.7
He wrote to Nikolaos 2104 confessing failure to move Konstantinos 10

Psellos Letters (K - D) 44, 73.8-75.12
He wrote to Ioannes 289 on linguistic problems of distant friendship

Psellos Letters (K - D) 45, 75.13-77.18
He wrote to Ioannes 289 of his limited ability to help his friends

Psellos Letters (K - D) 46, 77.19-78.22
He wrote to Anonymus 2364 about Anonymus 2365

Psellos Letters (K - D) 47, 78.23-80.4
He wrote to Anonymus 2367 that he had so far failed to achieve what he wanted

Psellos Letters (K - D) 49, 81.9-82.5
He wrote to Anonymus 2368 about the deceased Theodoros 106

Psellos Letters (K - D) 50, 82.6-83.5
He wrote to Anonymus 2370, seeking help for Anonymus 2369

Psellos Letters (K - D) 51, 83.6-20
He wrote to Anonymus 2370 seeking help for Anonymus 2372, of whom he was told by Anonymus 2371

Psellos Letters (K - D) 52, 83.21-84.7
He wrote to Anonymus 2172 to welcome Anonymus 2173, who was Psellos himself

Psellos Letters (K - D) 58, 91.7-19
He wrote to Anonymus 2377 about Anna 2101 and the Pronoia monastery

Psellos Letters (K - D) 60, 92.25-93.25
He wrote to Anonymus 2380 about Moschos 2101

Psellos Letters (K - D) 61, 93.26-94.17
He wrote to Nikolaos 2104, announcing preliminary success in persuading Konstantinos 10

Psellos Letters (K - D) 63, 96.1-97.20
He wrote to Anonymus 2393 asking for aid for Anonymus 2275

Psellos Letters (K - D) 73, 105.9-106.10
He wrote to Anonymus 2404 seeking a favour for Anonymus 2405

Psellos Letters (K - D) 83, 112.18-28
He wrote to Anonymus 2407 over prospects for his return from exile

Psellos Letters (K - D) 85, 114.1-23
He wrote to Anonymus 2410 about Anonymus 2409's quick visit to the capital

Psellos Letters (K - D) 86, 114.24-115.24
He wrote to Aimilianos 61, complaining that his letters had stopped

Psellos Letters (K - D) 88, 116.19-117.28
He wrote to Anonymus 2412 about the monastery of Dobrosontos

Psellos Letters (K - D) 89, 118.1-23
He wrote to Anonymus 2413 about Anonymus 2414

Psellos Letters (K - D) 90, 118.24-119.12
He wrote to Anonymus 2416 about Anonymus 2417

Psellos Letters (K - D) 92, 120.8-29
He wrote to Georgios 2102 about improving his estates

Psellos Letters (K - D) 95, 122.22-124.2
He wrote to Anonymus 2419, describing a boat journey entertained by Elias 2101

Psellos Letters (K - D) 97, 125.10-126.16
He wrote to Anonymus 2419 about Elias 2101, that he had invented a third term between God and Mammon

Psellos Letters (K - D) 98, 126.17-127.16
He wrote to Basileios 180 about a plan affecting Anonymus 2423 and the Great Church

Psellos Letters (K - D) 104, 132.12-133.9
He wrote to Ioannes 289 in reply to his Ep. 1

Psellos Letters (K - D) 105, 133.10-135.31
He wrote to Anonymus 2424 to stop Anonymus 2426 offending against Anonymus 2425

Psellos Letters (K - D) 107, 136.15-137.7
He wrote to Anonymus 2424 about Megala Kellia

Psellos Letters (K - D) 108, 137.8-21
He wrote to Anonymus 2427 about Anonymus 2428, travelling to Paphlagonia in winter

Psellos Letters (K - D) 109, 137.22-138.17
He wrote to Anonymus 2310 about a need to visit him

Psellos Letters (K - D) 112, 141.1-24
He wrote to Anonymus 2431 about two errant monks

Psellos Letters (K - D) 113, 141.25-142.5
He wrote to Anonymus 2432 about his retreat to a monastery

Psellos Letters (K - D) 114, 142.6-10
He wrote to Anonymus 2433, about a letter he received and the care of his estates

Psellos Letters (K - D) 116, 143.10-144.2
He wrote to Anonymus 2433 asking him to spare Anonymus 2434

Psellos Letters (K - D) 117, 144.3-22
He wrote to Anonymus 2433, asking for help for Anonymus 2436

Psellos Letters (K - D) 119, 145.10-21
He wrote to Anonymus 2433, asking him to make Anonymus 2437's creditors pay their bills

Psellos Letters (K - D) 120, 145.22-146.5
He wrote to Anonymus 2438, seeeking tax-exemption for Anonymus 2439

Psellos Letters (K - D) 121, 146.6-15
He wrote to Nikolaos 2104 about Medikion monastery

Psellos Letters (K - D) 125, 149.7-27
He wrote to Nikolaos 2104 about help for Anonymus 2440 and his monastery

Psellos Letters (K - D) 126, 150.1-19
He wrote to Nikolaos 2104 via Anonymus 2440, asking him to help the monks and estates of Ta Narsou

Psellos Letters (K - D) 127, 150.20-151.12
He wrote to Nikolaos 2104, asking why he had rejected Anonymus 2441 as notarios

Psellos Letters (K - D) 128, 151.14-152.18
He wrote to Anonymus 2445 about Anonymus 2444?s candidature to become bishop of Paionia

Psellos Letters (K - D) 130, 153.1-15
He wrote to Anonymus 2445 that he should raise his help for Anonymus 2447 to match the thanks given by him

Psellos Letters (K - D) 131, 153.16-154.18
He wrote to Anonymus 2450 about help for Anonymus 2451

Psellos Letters (K - D) 133, 155.18-156.18
He wrote to Aimilianos 61 about his situation in Antioch, of which he knew very little

Psellos Letters (K - D) 134, 156.19-158.4
He wrote to Aimilianos 61, claiming to have lobbied well on his behalf

Psellos Letters (K - D) 135, 158.5-161.13
He wrote to Basileios 2103, away near Romanos 4, asking help for Anonymus 2252

Psellos Letters (K - D) 146, 171.19-173.8
He wrote to Eustratios 101 seeking help for Anonymus 2252

Psellos Letters (K - D) 147, 173.9-22
He wrote to Anonymus 2465 asking him to treat Anonymus 2467 well

Psellos Letters (K - D) 152, 176.1-11
He wrote to Anonymus 2465, approving (or substituting) a positive recommendation for Anonymus 2468

Psellos Letters (K - D) 153, 176.12-26
He wrote to Anonymus 2469 who had forgotten their friendship, and recommended Anonymus 2470

Psellos Letters (K - D) 154, 177.1-17
He wrote to Anonymus 2475 detailing successes in his campaign on his behalf

Psellos Letters (K - D) 158, 183.17-185.4
He wrote to Anonymus 2481, wanting him back and asking that Anonymus 2480 make more money

Psellos Letters (K - D) 160, 187.6-188.28
He wrote to Anonymus 2482 explaining why he eventually wrote to recommend Anonymus 2483

Psellos Letters (K - D) 161, 189.1-20
He wrote to Anonymus 2486 asking for justice for Anonymus 2487

Psellos Letters (K - D) 163, 190.9-12
He wrote to Anonymus 2488 asking him to accept the ex-slave Anonymus 2489 into his monastery

Psellos Letters (K - D) 164, 190.13-191.2
He wrote to Anonymus 2493 preparing him for the arrival of Anonymus 2494

Psellos Letters (K - D) 166, 191.17-192.17
He wrote to Anonymus 2501 about an attack on Anonymus 2499 by Anonymus 2500

Psellos Letters (K - D) 171, 194.22-195.12
He wrote to Anonymus 2504 asking him to redouble his efforts for the grateful Anonymus 2505

Psellos Letters (K - D) 173, 196.6-22
He wrote to Anonymus 2504 that he match Anonymus 2505's hearty thanks by giving more help

Psellos Letters (K - D) 174, 196.23-197.19
He wrote to Anonymus 2507 about Anonymus 2506

Psellos Letters (K - D) 175, 197.20-198.7
He wrote to Anonymus 2510 with news that he had nearly recovered from a serious illness

Psellos Letters (K - D) 177, 198.22-199.22
He wrote to Anonymus 2512 offering him the chance of helping Anonymus 2513

Psellos Letters (K - D) 179, 200.6-18
He wrote to Anonymus 2514 to support Anonymus 2515

Psellos Letters (K - D) 180, 200.19-201.5
He wrote to Anonymus 2516 about making recommendations between good friends

Psellos Letters (K - D) 181, 201.6-14
He wrote to Anonymus 2517 under pressure from relations of the deceased Anonymus 2518

Psellos Letters (K - D) 182, 201.15-202.23
He wrote to Anonymus 2523, asking for help for Anonymus 2522

Psellos Letters (K - D) 184, 203.5-16
He wrote to Anonymus 2524 about beds

Psellos Letters (K - D) 187, 206.10-207.22
He wrote to Anonymus 2529 about his fear of his persecutors

Psellos Letters (K - D) 198, 223.19-226.29
He wrote to Anonymus 2424 asking for care for his monasteries

Psellos Letters (K - D) 200, 227.16-229.13
He wrote to Anonymus 2533, seeking to have Nikolaos 2105 reinstated in his monastery

Psellos Letters (K - D) 204, 232.5-233.11
He wrote to Pothos 102 (?), recommending Anonymus 2439

Psellos Letters (K - D) 218, 260.14-22
He wrote to Pothos 102 asking for help for Anonymus 2540

Psellos Letters (K - D) 220, 261.8-262.19
He wrote to Anonymus 2541 to ask help for Ioannes 289 over assessment of the Python monastery

Psellos Letters (K - D) 221, 262.20-263.23
He wrote to Anonymus 2544 about a recent decree

Psellos Letters (K - D) 222, 263.24-264.15
He wrote to Anonymus 2543, who showed many good traits yet made others compete with him

Psellos Letters (K - D) 223, 264.16-266.26
He wrote to Anonymus 2545 about the educational problems of Anonymus 2300

Psellos Letters (K - D) 224, 266.27-267.28
He wrote to Anonymus 2546 about his letter, which arrived just as Psellos wanted to contact him

Psellos Letters (K - D) 225, 268.1-269.23
He wrote to Anonymus 2549, asking for help for the monastery of Moses 2101

Psellos Letters (K - D) 227, 270.13-271.3
He wrote to Ioannes 289 (?) about a serious illness from which he was recovering

Psellos Letters (K - D) 228, 271.4-272.8
He wrote to Ioannes 289, asking why he was unhappy when about to be recalled by Konstantinos 9

Psellos Letters (K - D) 229, 272.9-274.9
He wrote to Ioannes 62, secure in the knowledge that he was admired by him

Psellos Letters (K - D) 231, 276.1-278.17
He wrote to Ioannes 62 thanking him for the gift of a horse

Psellos Letters (K - D) 232, 278.18-281.8
He wrote to Ioannes 62 about chestnuts

Psellos Letters (K - D) 236, 286.15-287.10
He wrote to Ioannes 62, saying that letters were like grapes

Psellos Letters (K - D) 238, 288.12-289.7
He wrote to Ioannes 62 on nature's alternatives of shells and stones

Psellos Letters (K - D) 239, 289.8-240.4
He wrote to Anonymus 2555 against hunting

Psellos Letters (K - D) 242, 291.19-293.22
He wrote to Anonymus 2556 about an attack made on the estate of Anonymus 2557

Psellos Letters (K - D) 243, 293.23-294.18
He wrote to Anonymus 2561 that Anonymus 2562 was being stopped from rebuilding his ruined house

Psellos Letters (K - D) 246, 296.20-297.6
He wrote to Anonymus 2566 about help for Anonymus 2567

Psellos Letters (K - D) 248, 297.20-298.11
He wrote to Pothos 102 about water diverted from watermills

Psellos Letters (K - D) 251, 299.18-300.15
He wrote to Anonymus 2570, trying to ease the way for Anonymus 2571

Psellos Letters (K - D) 252, 300.16-301.5
He wrote to Anonymus 2574 that he should should follow Anonymus 2566 in helping Anonymus 2567

Psellos Letters (K - D) 254, 301.21-302.17
He wrote to Anonymus 2575 about his prospects for promotion

Psellos Letters (K - D) 255, 302.18-303.15
He wrote to Ioannes 62 an obituary on their friendship

Psellos Letters (K - D) 256, 303.16-304.16
He wrote to Pothos 102 (?) about Anonymus 2576

Psellos Letters (K - D) 257, 304.16-25
He wrote to Anonymus 2578 to support Anonymus 2579 before his court

Psellos Letters (K - D) 258, 305.1-23
He wrote to Anonymus 2580 about his refusal to maintain friendship by writing

Psellos Letters (K - D) 259, 305.24-306.16
He wrote to Anonymus 2585, complaining that his letter was short

Psellos Letters (K - D) 264, 309.13-310.6
He wrote to Ioannes 18 about his pupil Anonymus 2586

Psellos Letters (K - D) 265, 310.7-19
He wrote to Anonymus 2588 about the frequent instructions he received about Anonymus 2587

Psellos Letters (K - D) 266, 310-20-311.17
He wrote to Anonymus 2591 over the death of Anonymus 2590 and the care of Anonymi 2112

Psellos Letters (K - D) 268, 313.9-314.23
He wrote to Anonymus 2592, saying his letters were too rare for friendship

Psellos Letters (K - D) 269, 314.24-315.12
He wrote to Anonymus 2593 about Elias 2101's visit to Thrakesion

Psellos Letters (K - D) 270, 315.13-27
He wrote to Anonymus 2555 as to a provocative lover

Psellos Letters (K - D) 274, 318.14-319.15
He wrote to Ioannes 62 stating that nobody had paid him money

Psellos Letters (Gautier) 1.1-13
He wrote to Ioannes 62 in deep depression: only Ioannes' interest kept him alive

Psellos Letters (Gautier) 3.1-20
He wrote to Ioannes 62 with the assurance of having entrapped him, yet still conscious of inferiority

Psellos Letters (Gautier) 4.1-41
He wrote to Ioannes 62, explaining how much of his new pride in his work was due to him

Psellos Letters (Gautier) 5.1-43
He wrote to Ioannes 62, encouraged by his approval but encircled by his gifts

Psellos Letters (Gautier) 6.1-21
He wrote to Ioannes 62, admitting he strutted like a peacock as the result of Ioannes' praise

Psellos Letters (Gautier) 7.1-45
He wrote to Ioannes 62 that Konstantinos 10 still favoured him

Psellos Letters (Gautier) 8.1-81
He wrote to Ioannes 62, asking him and Eirene 20117 to stop conspiring to entrap him

Psellos Letters (Gautier) 9.1-45
He wrote to Ioannes 62 from a sense of competition with him over music

Psellos Letters (Gautier) 10.1-46
He wrote to Ioannes 62, one of the few men able to use Greek properly in a city as Greekless as Britain

Psellos Letters (Gautier) 11.1-21
He wrote to Ioannes 62 in Antioch, praising his superior philosophy but complaining he did not write

Psellos Letters (Gautier) 12.1-56
He wrote to Ioannes 62 about a robbery in which he lost 300 nomismata saved to buy an estate

Psellos Letters (Gautier) 13.1-61
He wrote to Ioannes 18, welcoming his letter and hoping to follow him to the monastery

Psellos Letters (Gautier) 17.1-70
He wrote to Anonymus 2594, congratulating him and the Thessalians on the survival of eloquence in Hellas

τῷ μητροπολίτῃ Θεσσαλονίκης, τῷ γεγονότι μαΐστορι τῶν ῥητόρων.   Psellos Letters (Gautier) 18.1-68
He wrote to Anonymus 2594 about help for Anonymus 2595

Psellos Letters (Gautier) 19.1-21
He wrote to Anonymus 2594, complaining that his sweet letter had no meaning

Psellos Letters (Gautier) 20.1-63
He wrote to Anonymus 2300, comparing the letters they wrote and offering him a crown

Psellos Letters (Gautier) 24.1-46
He wrote to Eustratios 101, missing him and his friends and Romanos 4, wondering why they did not return after so many achievements

Psellos Letters (Gautier) 25.1-65
He wrote to Sergios 105, advertising a visit he would receive from Elias 2101

Psellos Letters (Gautier) 27.1-51
He wrote to Anonymus 2597 over arrangements for a problematic estate

Psellos Letters (Gautier) 28.1-34
He wrote to Anonymus 2598 discussing food, and sent a substantial gift

Psellos Letters (Gautier) 29.1-19
He wrote to Ioannes 18 complaining of a very short letter

Psellos Letters (Gautier) 30.1-14
He wrote to Anonymus 2599 about their collaboration and saving a dying monastery

Psellos Letters (Gautier) 31.1-29
He wrote to Leon 62, promising that it was now time to help him

Psellos Letters (Gautier) 32.1-62
He wrote to Ioannes 289, saying his letter made him feel almost immortal

Psellos Letters (Gautier) 33.1-51
He wrote to Anonymus 2601, beginning their correspondence as far the junior partner

Psellos Letters (Gautier) 34.1-33
He wrote to Eudokia 1, passionately rebutting a charge of ingratitude

Psellos Letters (Gautier) 35.1-87
He wrote to Leon 62, flattering him and requesting a personal interview for himself and Anastasios 2101

Πρὸς τὸν πρωτοσύγκελλον, φιλοσοφικώτερον.   Psellos Letters (Papaioannou) 110.1-21
He wrote to Sergios 105 about surviving poisonous snake-bites

Psellos Letters (Karpozilos) 2.1-88
He wrote to Nikephoros 111, describing Anonymus 2616 he had sent him, expert with men, animals and trees; he told Nikephoros never to be treated by him, since he damaged his patients (of all sorts) and was only good for violent actions

φλεβοτομεῖν δυνάμενον οὐκ ἀνθρώπους μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ κτήνη καὶ ξύλα.   Psellos Letters (Maltese) 18.1-12
He wrote to Anonymus 2249 about Anonyma 2128

Psellos
He wrote to Anonymus 2496, persuading him to help Anonyma 2142

Psellos Letters (K - D) 169, 193.8-20
He wrote to Anonymus 2277 asking him to honour Anonymus 2276

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 149.397-398
He wrote to Aimilianos 61, thanking him for his impressive first letter

Psellos Letters (Gautier) 14.1-73
He wrote to Aimilianos 61 with further praise for his first letter

Psellos Letters (Gautier) 15.1-63
He wrote to Aimilianos 61 repeating his request for him to reinstate Nikolaos 2103

Psellos Letters (Gautier) 23.1-55
He wrote to Aimilianos 61, saying that Anonymus 2457 had brought him news

Psellos Letters (K - D) 139, 166.10-167.8
He wrote to Aimilianos 61, wondering how to reply to his letter

Psellos Letters (Gautier) 16.1-69
He wrote to Aimilianos 61 a letter largely of clichés, apparently elicited by letter-carriers

Psellos Letters (Gautier) 22.1-24
He wrote to Konstantinos 120, comparing the latter's house-full of family with his own isolation

Psellos Letters (K - D) 214, 254.1-256.27
He wrote to Anonymus 2220 about Anonymus 2221

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 102.344
He wrote to admonish Anonymus 2374

Psellos Letters (K - D) 55, 87.14-88.6
He wrote to ask Anonymus 2167 for some bushels of grain

Τῷ μεγάλῳ οἰκονόμῳ.   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 31.266-267
He wrote to congratulate Andronikos 61 on his victory

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 145.392-394
He wrote to console Romanos 4 on his blinding

Πρὸς τὸν Διογένην ὅτε ἐτυφλώθη.   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 82.316-318
He wrote to console Theodoros 101 on the death of Anonymus 2238

τῷ ἀνεψιῷ τοῦ βασιλέως ἐπὶ τῇ τελευτῇ τοῦ πενθεροῦ αὐτοῦ.   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 120.368-370
He wrote to lobby Anonymus 2420 for the people of Atzikome

Psellos Letters (K - D) 99, 127.17-128.7
He wrote to summon Ioannes 289 to his sickbed (or deathbed)

Psellos Letters (K - D) 13, 14.24-17.6
He wrote to test Anonymus 2520 by his treatment of Anonymus 2521

Psellos Letters (K - D) 183, 202.24-203.4
He wrote to the exile Anonymus 2366, explaining how he had supported him

Psellos Letters (K - D) 48, 80.5-81.8
He wrote to three persons, Anonymus 2300, Anonymus 2301, and Anonymus 2302, admitting (from Caesarea) he had left the expedition

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 176.454-455
He wrote two (alternative?) letters for Michael 7, proposing a marriage alliance with Robert 61

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 143-144.385-392
He wrote two letters to Anonymus 2311 about paradoxical events, relationships and causation

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 187-188.473-480
He wrote two monodies on two of his students, but the end of the first and the beginning of the second are lost; the first (A) is for the emperor Andronikos 62, brother of Michael 7, the second (B) for an anonymus ex-student, not Andronikos

Psellos A-B, 165-169
Heard from Anonymus 7002, who supplied him with materials for his history, that Romanos 4 wished to be persuaded that Zoe 1 was not erotically attached to Michael 4

ὡς δὲ ἐγώ τινος ἤκουσα ... ὑπόθεσιν κἀμοὶ τὰς ἀφορμὰς τῆς ἱστορίας διδόντος, ὡς ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐβούλετο μὲν ὡσανεὶ πεπεῖσθαι μὴ ἔχειν τὴν βασιλίδα ἐρωτικῶς πρὸς τὸν Μιχαήλ.   Psellos: Chronographia III 23.3-7
His account (of Romanos 62) is not finished, but to complete it he must interweave another, inserting another topic necessary to his narrative; then he will go back and add what was omitted from the preceding

... δεῖται δὲ πλείονος ἐπιπλοκῆς πρὸς ἀπαρτισμὸν, ἑτέραν παρενείρας ὑπόθεσιν, ἧς ὁ λόγος δεῖται τοῦ διηγήματος, οὕτω δὴ αὖθις ἐπαναστρέψας τοῖς ὑφηγησομένοις τὸ λειπόμενον ἀποδώσω.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 150.13-16
His account as it advances will describe the provision made by Konstantinos 8 for Zoe 1 at the end of his life

.. περὶ οὗ προιὼν ὁ λόγος ἐρεῖ.   Psellos: Chronographia II 5.15-17
His account as it advances will reveal more clearly how Konstantinos 8 was destined not only to terminate the power with himself, but also after living only a short time and in bad health, to break off life suddenly

ὁ δὲ ἔμελλεν ἄρα οὐ μόνον ἑαυτῷ περιγράψειν τὸ κράτος, ἀλλὰ καὶ βραχύν τινα ἐπιβιώσας χρόνον, καὶ τοῦτο νοσερόν, ἀθρόον τὴν ψυχὴν ἀπορρήξασθαι, περὶ οὗ δὴ προιὼν ὁ λόγος δηλώσει σαφέστερον.   Psellos: Chronographia III 1.6-10
HIs account has dealt previously with Michael 4, to whom Zoe 1 devoted every care so as to to hand over the leadership

ὅπως ἂν παραδῷ τὴν προστασίαν τῷ Μιχαὴλ, περὶ οὗ φθάσας ὁ λόγος διείληφε, δια πάσης φροντίδος γίνεται.   Psellos: Chronographia IV 1.6-9
His account has not yet come to this (how Basileios 2's wealth was wasted by Maria 64, Zoe 1 and Theodora 1) and he will complete the subject in hand

ἀλλ᾿ οὔπω νῦν ὁ λόγος εἰς τοῦτο κατέληξε, συμπληρούτω δὲ τὴν ὑπόθεσιν.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 63.5-7
His account has told in detail the entire story of the army's revolt in Constantinople and their exodus in the sections about Isaakios 1

συνθέμενοι ἀλλήλοις ἐντὸς τοῦ ἄστεος ἀποστασίαν, αὐτίκα δὴ ἐξεληλύθεσαν, ὡς ὁ λόγος τὸ ξύμπαν ἐν τοῖς κατὰ τὸν Κομνηνὸν λόγοις ἠκρίβωσε.   Psellos: Chronographia VIIa 7.31-4
His account introduced Chatatourios 61 earlier

ὃν φθάσας ὁ λόγος ἐγνώρισε.   Psellos: Chronographia VIIb 38.4
His account of Maria 64 terminated at the moment of her death; he will return again to Konstantinos 9, whom he will make the subject of the present part of the history

ὁ μὲν οὖν περὶ ἐκείνης λόγος εἰς αὐτὸ δὴ τὸ μέρος τῆς ἐκείνης κατέληξε λήξεως· ἐπανιῶμεν οὖν αὖθις ἐπὶ τὸν αὐτοκράτορα, ὃν δὴ καὶ ὑπόθεσιν τοῦ παρόντος μέρους τῆς ἱστορίας ποιούμεθα.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 71.10-13
His account of the character of Isaakios 1 must wait for a while

ὁ μὲν χαρακτὴρ ἐκείνου μικρόν τι τὸν λόγον ἀναμεινάτω.   Psellos: Chronographia VII 5.6-7
His account presented much information about Michael 5 before he became emperor

περὶ οὗ πλεῖστα ὁ λόγος φθάσας ἐδήλωσε.   Psellos: Chronographia V 1.1-2
His account will describe Michael 7 immediately after the narrative of Konstantinos 10

ὃν ὁ λόγος αὐτίκα δὴ μετὰ τὴν τοῦ πατρὸς ἰστορήσει γραφήν.   Psellos: Chronographia VIIa 6.28-9
His account will detail in turn the sequel to Michael 4's epileptic attacks in the proper places; he will portray the emperor in health, just as he has in sickness

τὰ μὲν οὖν τούτοις ἑπόμενα ὁ λόγος αὖθις εἰς τοὺς οἰκείους τόπους καταριθμήσει· ἴδωμεν δὲ ὥσπερ νοσοῦντα τὸν βασιλέα, οὕτω δὴ καὶ ὑγιῶς ἔχοντα.   Psellos: Chronographia IV 19.1-3
His account will keep to the sequence of events and make the first war organised against Konstantinos 9 first in his history before the others

ὁ δὲ λόγος τῆς ἀκολουθίας τῶν πεπραγμένων ἐχόμενος τὸν πρώτως συστάντα τῷ αὐτοκράτορι πόλεμον πρῶτον τῆς ἱστορίας τῶν ἄλλων ποιήσεται.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 74.1-4
His account will now turn to the reign of Konstantinos 10; but the account of his reign must wait

ὃν ἤδη πρὸς τὴν βασίλειον ἀρχὴν προβιβάζειν ὁ λόγος βούλεται. ἀλλ’ ὁ μὲν περὶ τῆς βασιλείας λόγος ἀναμεινάτω.   Psellos: Chronographia VII 84.11-85.2
His account will show later how Ioannes 68, by deferring the moment for changing and deposing Michael 5, paid off the sum of his family's misfortunes himself

τὸν γὰρ καιρὸν ὑπερτιθέμενος τῆς περὶ τὸν καίσαρα μεταβολῆς τε καὶ μεταθέσεως, εἰς αὐτὸν δὴ τὸ κεφάλαιον τῶν οἰκείων ἀπέτισε συμφορῶν, ὡς ὕστερον ὁ λόγος δηλώσει.   Psellos: Chronographia IV 29.12-14
His account will show more clearly how it was that the palace enjoyed nothing from Romanos 3's harsh exactions, but the rivers of money were diverted elsewhere

οὐδέν τι τῆς ἐντεῦθεν συνεκφορᾶς ἀπήλαυε τὰ βασίλεια, ἀλλ’ ἐφ’ ἕτερα οἱ τῶν χρημάτων μετωχετεύοντο ποταμοί. ῞Οτι δὲ τοῦτό ἐστιν ὁ λόγος δηλώσει σαφέστερον.   Psellos: Chronographia III 12.16-21
His account will tell more of Ioannes 68 in the appropriate places of the present record

περὶ οὗ ἐν τοῖς καθήκουσι τόποις τῆς παρούσης ἀναγραφῆς ὁ λόγος ἐρεῖ.   Psellos: Chronographia IV 3.17-18
His case against Michael 11 is partly based on the assumption of the heretical status of Niketas 166, Ioannes 438 and Dosithea 2101 (for suspect female and mystic elements)

Οὐχ ἅπαντες ὑμεῖς σύνιστε ....   Psellos Kategoria 106-130
His Chronographia narrates the deeds of the emperors Basileios 2 and Konstantinos 8, Romanos 3, Michael 4, Michael 5, Zoe 1 and Theodora 1, Konstantinos 9, Theodora 1, Isaakios 1, to the proclamation of Konstantinos 10

Χρονογραφία πονηθεῖσα ... ἱστοροῦσα τὰς πράξεις τῶν βασιλέων, ... καὶ ἕως τῆς ἀναρρήσεως Κωνσταντίνου τοῦ Δούκα.   Psellos: Chronographia Introduction 1-13
His comment (on Leon 62) will once more lead to a digression in the history on himself

ὁ δὲ λόγος οὗτος αὖθις ἐμὲ παρεισκυκλήσει τῇ ἱστορίᾳ.   Psellos: Chronographia VIa 9.13-14
His dear friend (?Konstantinos 13) did not ask him for an ambitious work but a summary one: so for him he has omitted from his history many things worth telling

οὐ γάρ με τὴν συγγραφήν, φίλτατε πάντων ἀνδρῶν, φιλοτιμοτέραν, ἀλλὰ κεφαλαιωδεστέραν ἀπῄτησας· διὰ τοῦτό σοι κἀγὼ πολλὰ τῶν ἀξίων εἰρῆσθαι παρῆκα τῇ ἱστορίᾳ.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 73.6-8
His devotion to classical learning was still dominant, supported by the interests of Konstantinos 9 and the distinctions received from him; life as a monk was in store for the future

ἐμοὶ δέ, ὦ μῆτερ, ἀφωσίωται οὗτος ὁ βίος, ὁ δ᾿ ἕτερος τεθησαύρισται.   Psellos Mother 61
His inserted a long prologue so that when he says that Konstantinos 9 predicted or rejected something, people might not think Konstantinos 9 had prophetic powers but see his words as typical of his character: God's will decides events

τοσοῦτον δὲ προανεβαλλόμην τῶν διηγησέων, ἵν᾿, ..., μὴ μαντικὸν τὸν ἄνδρα ἡγήσωνται οἱ πολλοί, ἀλλὰ τοῦς μὲν λόγους συμφώνους τῷ ἐκείνου ἤθει νομίσωσι.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 98.1-6
His narrative condemning Konstantinos 9's excesses now reaches the chief one, the church that he founded for the martyr George

ὁ δέ γε λόγος τὰς ὑπερβολὰς ἐκείνου καταιτιώμενος ἐπ᾿ αὐτὸ δὴ χωρεῖ τὸ κεφάλαιον, φημὶ δὴ ὃν ἐκεῖνος ναὸν τῷ μάρτυρι Γεωργίῳ καθίδρευσεν.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 185.1-3
His narrative has already shown how Isaakios 1 died a miserable death (at the Stoudion monastery)

ὁ μὲν οὖν ἐκεῖσε δυσθανατῶν ἦν, ὡς ὁ λόγος φθάσας ἐδήλωσεν.   Psellos: Chronographia VIIa 14.1-2
His narrative has previously mentioned Konstantinos 9's exile

ὑπερορίῳ γὰρ γεγονότι τῷδε τῷ βασιλεῖ, ὡς ὁ λόγος φθάσας ἱστόρησε.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 51.3-4
His orderly narrative of all things will show that Ioannes 68's document (granting immunity to his family) was in fact the beginning of his pains

τόδε ῆν ἄρα ὠδίνων ἀρχή, δηλώσει δὲ καθεξῆς περὶ πάντων ὁ λόγος.   Psellos: Chronographia V 11.7-8
His plan for the text sent to Malik-Shah 51 contained two parts: Old Testament prophecies of the Incarnation and pagan prefigurings of Christ; only aa part of the first section has survived, through damage to the ms in which it has survived

Psellos Malik-shah 142-175
His previous narrative has demonstrated that Michael 4 was elevated to the imperial rule from an ugly beginning

φαίνεται μὲν ἐξ οὐ καλῆς ὑποθέσεως ὡς ὁ λόγος φθάσας ἐγνώρισεν, εἰς τὴν βασίλειον ἀρχὴν ἀναχθείς.   Psellos: Chronographia IV 9.1-2
His wish was either to mention Konstantinos 9 in words of praise or to be silent about deeds of his which were not motivated by a praiseworthy intention

τὸ μὲν οὖν βουλόμενόν μοι ἢ ἐν τοῖς κρείττοσι λόγοις ἐκείνου μεμνῆσθαι, ἢ σεσιγῆσθαι τὰ ἐκείνου εἰ μὴ ἀπὸ τῆς κρείττονος ὥρμηνται ὑποθέσεως.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 24.6-8
How could he in brief words describe the great marvel (of Isaakios 1's adventus)? He has taken part in many imperial processions and been present at religious ceremonies, but never seen such brilliance

ἀλλὰ πῶς ἂν ὑμῖν ἐν βραχεῖ τὸ πολὺ διηγησαίμην τοῦ θαύματος. ἐγωγ᾿ οὖν καὶ βασιλείοις πομπαῖς πολλαῖς ἐντετυχηκὼς, καὶ πανηγύρεσι θειοτέραις παραγενόμενος, οὔπω τοιαύτην ἐθεασάμην λαμπρότητα.   Psellos: Chronographia VII 40.7-10
If he himself has sometimes used the things he is advising against, it is no cause for surprise: for historical narrative is not so clearly defined as to be absolutely polished - there are places where excursus and digression are allowed

..., θαυμάζειν οὐ χρή· ὁ γὰρ τῆς ἰστορίας λόγος οὐχ οὕτως ὥρισται, ὡς ἀπεξέσθαι πέριξ παντάπασιν, ἀλλ᾿ ὅπη παρείκοι καὶ διεκδρομάς τινας ἔχειν καὶ παρεκβάσεις.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 70.9-13
If he is not considered tedious, but allowed to continue, he will add some personal details: these alone will stir serious men to praise

καὶ εἰ μή μέ τις φορτικὸν νομίζοι, ἀλλὰ συγχωρεῖ δὴ τῷ λόγῳ., καὶ τοῦτο δὴ τῶν ἐμῶν προσθήσω, ὅ δὴ καὶ μόνον μάλιστα εἰς εὐφημίαν τοὺς σπουδαιοτέρους κινήσει.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 37.1-4
If he lives beyond his span, he will write another history for Konstantinos 62, when he has provided material for writing; if not, this record will satisfy Konstantinos and provide a starting-point for other historians

εἰ μὲν οὖν περαιτέρω τῆς καθεστώσης ἡλικίας προβήσομαι, ἕτερον σοι λόγον συγγράψομαι, ὁπήνικα καὶ αὐτὸς ἀφοφμὰς τοῦ γράφειν παράσχοις ἐμοί· εἰ δ’ οὖν ἀποχρῶν σοι τοῦτο τὸ γράμμα, ....   Psellos: Chronographia VIIc 13.13-17
If he set out to praise the life of Konstantinos 9, but then rejected the causes of praise and was clearly seen to have assembled topics for blame, he would be most malicious, like Herodotos, whose History tells the Greeks' worst deeds

εἰ μὲν προθέμενος τὸν ἐκείνου βίον ἐγκωμιάζειν, εἶτα τὰς τῶν κρειττόνων ἀφεὶς ἀφορμάς, τὰς τῶν χειρόνων ὑποθέσεις ἐφαινόμην συνειλοχώς, κακοηθέστατος ἂν εἴην, ὥσπερ δὴ ὁ τοῦ Λύξου ....   Psellos: Chronographia VI 24.8-13
If of those involved in the account, a virtuous man has maligned him or a vicious one conferred favours, (the historian) will consider in his history none of the things done to himself but place each in his account with his proper conduct

κἂν τῶν ὑποβεβλημένων τῷ λόγῳ προσώπων, ὁ μέν τις αὐτὸν σπουδαῖος ὢν διεφαύλισεν, ... οὐδέτερον τῶν εἰς αὐτὸν πεπραγμένων ... λογίσεται, ἀλλ᾿ ἕκαστον ἀναθήσει τῷ λόγῳ μετὰ τῆς οἰκείας πράξεως.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 161.17-22
If one set aside all else and contemplated only (his attitude to his ill-health), one would truly call Konstantinos 9 a godly man

εἴ τις ἐκεῖνον τῶν ἄλλων ἀφεὶς ἐπὶ τούτου καταθεωρήσει τοῦ μέρους, θεῖον ὡς ἀληθῶς ἄνδρα κατονομάσειε.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 131.13-15
If one were to think of Romanos 4 as a courageous and a most enthusiastic combatant, one would have reason for encomium

εἰ μὲν γὰρ ὡς φιλοκίνδυνον λογίσαιτο τις τὸν ἄνδρα καὶ ἀγωνιστὴν προθυμότατον, ἔχοι ἂν ἀφορμὰς πρὸς ἐγκώμιον.   Psellos: Chronographia VIIb 21.3-5
If the historian were permitted to return a favour from goodwill or generosity of soul to one who had been kind to him and for this reason to distort his account, who would have glorified Konstantinos 9 with words of praise before him?

εἴ γε δι᾿ εὔνοιαν ἢ ψυχῆς εὐγενείαν δοθείη τῷ ἱστοροῦντι τῷ εὐνοϊκῶς πρὸς αὐτὸν σχόντι ἀντιχαρίζεσθαι ..., τίς ἄν πρὸ ἐμοῦ ἕτερος ταῖς ἐκ τῶν λόγων εὐφημίαις τουτονὶ τὸν αὐτοκράτορα κατέκοσμησεν.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 161.22-6
If the stories that Michael 4 used secret rites and denied God in order to achieve power is false, his view should prevail again

εἰ δὲ ψευδής, ὁ ἐμὸς αὖθις νικῴη σκοπός.   Psellos: Chronographia IV 33.1-11
If when he examines openly even seemingly bad deeds, the shining virtue of Konstantinos 9's good deeds is preserved and the good outweighs the bad, then he will excel all emperors whose panegyrics are suspect, more plausible than true

εἰ γὰρ ἀπερικακλύπτως ἐμοῦ καὶ τὰ δοκοῦντα φαῦλα ἐκείνου διακριβοῦντος, σῴζεται ἐκ τῆς ἑτέρας μερίδος ἡ ἀρετὴ διαλάμπουσα ....   Psellos: Chronographia VI 162.5-11
In a small skiff he has ventured to cross a great sea; he will tell, as best he can, what great innovations divine justice brought to this critical time and to affairs of state after the exile of the empress (Zoe 1)

ὅθεν ἐπὶ μικρᾶς σχεδίας μέγα περαιώσασθαι τετόλμηκα πέλαγος. Λέξω γοῦν, ὡς ἂν οἷός τε ὧ, ὁπόσα μετὰ τὴν τῆς βασιλίδος ὑπερορίαν ἡ θεία δίκη τῷ τε καιρῷ καὶ τοῖς πράγμασιν ἐκαινοτόμησεν.   Psellos: Chronographia V 24.19-22
In abridging his account he has passed over many things, such as Michael 7's love for Maria 61... and for Andronikos 62 and Konstantios 61

ἀλλ᾿ ἐπιτέμνοντα τὸν λόγον πολλά με διέλαθε, τὸ περὶ τὴν γυναῖκα φίλτρον, ..., τὸ περὶ τοῖν ἀδελφοῖν.   Psellos: Chronographia VIIc 9.1-3
In another short encomium for Konstantinos 10, he referred to succeses in the east and over the Uzes in the west, to a new openness in government, and to Konstantinos' splendid wife and children

Τῷ αὐτῷ.   Psellos Orationes panegyricae X, 1-53
In checking the report (that Konstantinos 9 was protected from all disaster by favourable fortune) he found no knowledge or foundation for the prophecy

ὧν ἐγὼ τοὺς λόγους διακριβούμενος οὐδεμίαν ἐπιστήμην ἢ ἀρχὴν εὕρισκον τῆς προρρήσεως.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 96.3-5
In composing panegyric he does not collect everything indiscriminately, but putting aside the worse and selecting the better, he fits them together in proper order, binds them and weaves praise of a single excellent quality

..., ἀλλ᾿ ἀφεὶς μὲν τὰ χείρονα, ἀφαιρούμενος δὲ τὰ κρείττονα, ξυναρμόζω ταῦτα κατὰ τὴν οἰκείαν τάξιν καὶ ξυγκολλῶ καὶ διὰ μιᾶς τῆς ἀρίστης ποιότητος ἐξυφαίνω τὴν εὐφημίαν.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 25.15-19
In congratulating Konstantinos 120 on the birth of a son, he remembered life with his own adoptive family

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 157.409-412
In defending the shortcomings of Konstantinos 9, he asks if any man, particularly any emperor, was seen with his head crowned with the diadem of encomium for all of his deeds

τίς δὲ τῶν πάντων ἀνθρώπων, ἵν᾿ ὑπὲρ τῶν ἐκείνου ἐλαττωμάτων ἀπολογίσωμαι, ὤφθη τῶν πράξεων ἀναδεδεμένος τὴν κεφαλὴν ἐγκωμιαστικῷ διαδήματι.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 162.11-15
In explaining the reason for Konstantinos 9's sudden affection for Ioannes 115 and his elevation, he will go back a little in his account to the time before Ioannes' regime

ἡ δὲ πρόφασις τῆς ἀθρόας πρὸς ἐκεῖνο ἀγαπήσεώς τε καὶ μεταθέσεως τοιαύτη τις ἐγεγόνει, ἀναβήσομαι δὲ βραχύ τι τῷ λόγῳ ἐπὶ τὰ πρότερον τῆς ἐκείνου ἀρχῆς.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 177.12-14
In fact he has written his history for this reason, so that it may be known that there is a human character (Michael 7's) comparable with the divine and far surpassing natures he has known

τούτου γὰρ ἕνεκα καὶ τὴν ἱστορίαν πεποίημαι, ἵν’ ἔχοι τις ειδέναι ὅτι ἔστι τοι ἦθος ἀνθρώπου θείας ἄντικρυς μοίρας καὶ περαιτέρω τῆς ἐγνωσμένης φύσεως.   Psellos: Chronographia VIIc 1.10-13
In his enthusiasm his account outlined the end before setting in place the opening to Romanos 3's reign; so he will now return to the birth of Romanos' power

ἀλλ’ ὁ λόγος, πρὶν ἢ τὰ περὶ ἐκεῖνον στῆσαι προπύλαια, τὸ τοῦ παντὸς τέλος ὑπὸ προθυμίας ἀπεσχεδίασεν· ἐπαναγέσθω οὖν ἐπὶ ταύτην ἤδη τοῦ περὶ ἐκεῖνον κράτους τὴν γένεσιν.   Psellos: Chronographia III 4.10-13
In his view it was by divine intervention that Konstantinos 10 did not gain power then (when Isaakios 1 did) but later, so that he was raised to the summit of imperial power not by usurpation but by legitimate means

ἐγὼ δὲ τοῦτο τοῖς γενομένοις προστίθημι, ὅτι θεῖον ἄρα ἦν καὶ τὸ μὴ τότε γενόμενον καὶ τὸ νῦν γεγονός, ἵνα μὴ ἐκ τυραννικῶν προθύρων, ἀλλ’ ἐκ ἐννόμων ἀδύτων εἰς τὴν τῆς βασιλείας ἀναχθείη περιωπήν.   Psellos: Chronographia VII 88.20-4
In his view, had not evil fate grafted onto Michael 4 his brothers (Anonymi 6008), so that he could not eliminate his family nor turn them to benefit because of their devious character, none of the famous emperors would have matched him

καὶ ἀποπεφάνθω μοι περὶ τοῦδε τοῦ ἀνδρός, ..., οὐκ ἄν τις ἐκείνῳ τῶν περιωνύμων βασιλέων ἀντήρισεν.   Psellos: Chronographia IV 10. 17-21
In one ms., it seems that he prepared his simple introduction in verse on the Song of Songs for dedication to Nikephoros 3

Psellos Poema 2 (tit.)
In order to trace the entire topic concerning himself he will give an account from the beginning of the story

ἵνα δὲ τὴν περὶ ἐμὲ ξύμπασαν ὑμῖν ἐξιχνιάσω ὑπόθεσιν ἐκ κεφαλῆς τοῦ λόγου ποιήσομαι τὴν διήγησιν.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 191.10-12
In speaking [of Konstantinos 9] he keeps rhetoric and persuasion within strict bounds; one applying fuller workmanship would draw every ear and heart to his will; but he does not praise such works and hates artful words that hide truth

ἄκροις ὡσανεὶ καταχρώμενος ὅροις τῆς ῥητορικῆς τέχνης τε καὶ πειθοῦς, ... ἀλλ᾿ ἐμοὶ οὔτε τὰ τοιαῦτα τῶν ἔργων ἐν ἐπαίνοις τίθεται, μεμίσηνται δὲ καὶ αἱ περὶ τοὺς λόγους τέχναι, κλέπτουσαι τὴν ἀλήθειαν.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 176.1-6
In touching on Maria 64 and wanting to reveal her story in its entirety, his account has omitted many noteworthy things which preceded, so as not to have to mention matters relating to her one by one and break the continuity of the subject

... φιλοτιμηθεὶς δι᾿ ὅλου τὴν περὶ ταύτης ἱστορίαν ἐμφανθῆναι, πολλὰ ... παρῆκεν, ἵνα μὴ καθ᾿ ἕκαστον τῶν πεπραγμένων μνημονεύειν ἐκείνης ἐπανακάζωμαι καὶ τὸ συνεχὲς διακόπτειν τῶν ὑποθέσεων.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 71.5-10
Interrupting his narrative for a little he will first describe the mind and soul of the emperor (Michael 5), so that readers will not be amazed when he speaks about how Michael improvised his actions with no fixed starting-point

μικρὸν δὲ ἐντεῦθεν τὴν τοῦ λόγου ἐκκόψας διήγησιν περὶ τῆς τοῦ βασιλεύσαντος γνώμης τε καὶ ψυχῆς πρότερον ἀφηγήσομαι, ὅπως ᾶν μὴ θαυμάζητε, ὁπηνίκα τι περὶ τῶν ἐκείνου πράξεων λέγοιμι,....   Psellos: Chronographia V 9.1-5
Interrupting the course of the narrative for a little Michael 61 will first describe his mind and soul, so that readers will not be amazed when the text speaks about how he improvised his actions with no fixed starting-point

... περὶ τῆς τοῦ βασιλεύσαντος γνώμης τε καὶ ψυχῆς πρότερον ἀφηγήσομαι, ὅπως ἂν μὴ θαυμάζητε, ὁπηνίκα τι περὶ τῶν ἐκείνου πράξεων λέγοιμι, ὅπως αὐτὰς ἐξ οὐδεμιᾶς ἀρχῆς ἐσχεδίαζεν ὡρισμένης.   Psellos: Chronographia V 9.1-5
Is in doubt how he should describe the response of the women [to Zoe 1's exile] to those who do not know them

τὸ δὲ θῆλυ γένος, ἀλλὰ πῶς ἂν τοῦτο τοῖς οὐκ εἰδόσιν ἀφηγησαίμην;.   Psellos: Chronographia V 26.2-4
Is unable to say accurately whether the attendants who went into the bath with Romanos 3 committed some crime against him (though the others who have written on this say that they did)

εἴ τι μὲν εἰσελθόντες περὶ τὸν αὐτοκράτορα παρηνόμησαν, οὐκ ἔχω εἰπεῖν ἀκριβῶς.   Psellos: Chronographia III 26.23-5
Is unable to say whether the loving couple (Zoe 1 and Michael 4) and their accomplices in the affair did something most untoward to Romanos 3, since he is reluctant to make a charge in matters where he has no certainty

... ἐγὼ μὲν οὐκ ἂν εἴποιμι· οὐ γὰρ ῥᾳδίως οἶδα καταγινώσκειν ὧν οὔπω κατάληψιν εἴληφα.   Psellos: Chronographia III 26.2-5
It is his custom always not to consider individually either things which appear good or those thought to have been done ill, but to seek the causes and result of each, especially if the one providing the subject accepts such reasoning (?)

... εἴθισται οὔτε ... ἕκαστον ἐφ᾿ ἑαυτοῦ μόνον σκοπεῖν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰς αἰτίας ζητεῖν καὶ πρός ὅ τι τὸ γινόμενον ἀποτελευτήσοι, καὶ μάλιστα εἰ καὶ ὁ τὰς ὑποθέσεις χορηγῶν ἐπὶ τοιούτων λογισμῶν ἵσταται.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 30.7-11
It was the character of Michael 4 in particular which made him ambivalent in judgement

ποιεῖ δέ μοι μάλιστα τὴν ἀμφιβολίαν τῶν λογισμῶν ὁ τοῦ Μιχαὴλ τρόπος.   Psellos: Chronographia IV 7.1-2
It would be superfluous to describe in the fabric of his history Konstantinos 9's laments at the death of Maria 64, his acts and how he howled aloud like a child, overcome by suffering

... τούς τε θρήνους οὓς ἀπωδύρατο καὶ τὰς πράξεις ἃς κατεπράξατο, ὅσα τε τῷ πάθει νικώμενος μειρακιωδῶς ἀνωλοφύρατο, παρέλκον ἂν εἴη εἰς τὴν τῆς ἱστορίας καταλέγειν ὑφήν.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 70.1-5
It would take a long time to catalogue all Michael 4's management and regulation in civil disturbances and foreign wars, but selecting one from all, that is the contest against the barbarians, he will run through it in summary

ὅσα μὲν ἐκεῖνος ... ᾠκονόμησε καὶ διῄτησε μακρὸν ἂν εἴη καταλέγειν, ἓν δὲ τῶν πάντων ἐκλεξάμενος, φημὶ δὴ τὸν κατὰ τῶν βαρβάρων ἀγῶνα, κεφαλαιώδει τοῦτο ἐπιδραμοῦμαι ἐπιτομῇ.   Psellos: Chronographia IV 38.11-15
Knowing that it is habitual for men to invent stories, he is not quickly carried away by popular slanders, but submits what is said to tests and thereby verifies the deeds for himself

ἐγὼ γὰρ εἰδὼς ὅτι τὸ λογοποιεῖν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις σύνηθες, οὐ ταχὺ ταῖς διαβολαὶς συμφέρομαι τῶν πολλῶν, ἀλλὰ βασάνοις διδοὺς τὰ λεγόμενα, ἐκεῖθεν ἐμαυτῷ πιστοῦμαι τὰ πράγματα.   Psellos: Chronographia IV 33.11-14
Many men frequently put pressure on him to write his history - not only secular officials and leading senators, but also others initiated in the mysteries of the Word and those of great sanctity and spiritual excellence

... με πολλάκις πρὸς τήνδε τὴν ξυγγραφὴν κατηνάγκασαν, οὐ τῶν ἐν τέλει μόνον καὶ τῶν πρώτων τῆς γερουσίας, ... τῶν ἄλλων εἰς τὰ τοῦ Λόγου τελούντων μυστήρια, καὶ τῶν ὅσοι θειότεροι καὶ ὑπερτελεῖς τὴν ψυχήν.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 22.1-4
Many people were amazed that he suddenly relinguished the splendour he had slowly accumulated at a time when he had overcome many people's envy and transferred to the life of God

ἐθαύμασαν γοῦν οἱ πολλοὶ, ὅπως ποτὲ τὴν κατὰ βραχύ μοι συναυξηθεῖσαν λαμπρότητα, ὁπότε δὴ καὶ τὰς τῶν πολλῶν ὑπερβέβηκα βασκανίας, ἀθρόον ἀφείς, ἐπὶ τὸν θειότερον μετελήλυθα βίον.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 191.3-6
Mentions what follows by way of prologue to the story that the life of Romanos 3 was cut short by a particular cause

ὃ δὴ καὶ λόγος ἐστὶν ὑποτμηθῆναι αὐτῷ ἐξ αἰτίας τινός, ἣν ἐρεῖν βουλόμενος τοσοῦτον προλέγω.   Psellos: Chronographia III 17.1-2
Most historians of emperors are amazed that none has a completely good reputation - some are better in youth, some in age, some chose pleasure, others philosophy but then failed in it - but he would be surprised rather at the contrary

... θαυμάζουσιν ὅτι μηδεὶς αὐτῶν διὰ τέλους εὐδόκιμος, ἀλλὰ τῷ μὲν οἱ ἄνω χρόνοι καλλίους, τῷ δὲ ἡ πρὸς τῷ τέλει βελτίων ζωή· ... ἐγὼ δὲ τοῦτο μὲν οὐκ ἂν ἀγασθείην, τὸ δ᾿ ἐνάντιον εἴ τῳ συμβέβηκεν.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 27.1-8
Most men think that the nations around ran riot over the Roman boundaries suddenly and unexpectedly now for the first time, but he believes that the house was destroyed when the bonds binding it together came lose

... δοκεῖ νῦν πρῶτον τὰ πέριξ ἡμῶν ἔθνη ἐπὶ τὰ ῾Ρωμαίων κεχύσθαι ὅρια ἀθρόον καὶ παρ᾿ ἐλπίδα ἐπεισκωμάσαντα, ἐμοὶ δὲ τότε τὸ δωμάτιον καταλέλυται, ὁπηνίκα καὶ οἱ περισφίγγοντες τοῦτο δεσμοὶ διαλύονται.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 9.1-5
Most of what he has said will perhaps open a door for the malicious to gossip, but as to what he is about to tell, he doubts if anyone would dispute its truth

τὰ μὲν πλείω ὧν εἰρήκειν θύραν ἴσως ἀνοίξει γλωσσαλγίας τοῖς κακοήθεσι, περὶ δὲ ὧν μέλλω ἐρεῖν οὐκ οἶδα εἴ τις τῆς ἀληθείας ἀμφισβητήσειεν.   Psellos: Chronographia IV 38.9-11
Most people did not see the beginning of trouble, but it was planted and took shape from this first cause, and the gathering of the clouds then prepared for the present great rain: but he will not yet speak of this

εἰ δὲ οἱ πολλοὶ μὴ ᾐσθάνοντο τὴν ἀρχὴν τοῦ κακοῦ, ἀλλ᾿ ἐκεῖνό γε ἐκ τῆς πρώτης ἐκείνης ὑποθέσεως ἐπεφύετο καὶ συνίστατο, καὶ ἡ τηνικαῦτα τῶν νεφῶν συνδρομὴ τὸν μέγαν νῦν προκατεσκεύακεν ὑετόν.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 9. 5-9
Most terrible was it that all knew about the hypocrisy (of Romanos 62), but were quite unable to denounce it: all were victims of Konstantinos 9's folly and Romanos 62's public hypocrisy and forced to laugh when we should have wept

τὸ δέ γε δεινότερον, ὅτι πάντες μὲν ᾔδειμεν τὴν ὑπόκρισιν, ἐλέγχειν δὲ τὴν ὑπόκρισιν, πολλοῦ γε καὶ δεῖ, ..., καὶ γελᾶν ἠναγκάσμεθα ἐφ᾿ οἷς ὁ καιρὸς ἐδίδου θρηνεῖν.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 143.9-14
Much of his Against Ophrydas compared the achievements of Ioannes 18 with those of Anonymus 168 Ophrydas, including his illiterate libel; Ophrydas could not even understand the terms in which praise of Ioannes 18 must be couched

Psellos Against Ophrydas 80-198
Neither a poet of divinely inspired soul and tongue, nor an orator who had attained the utmost spiritual excellence and fluency ..., nor a philosopher who understood Providence ... would be able to tell with due measure what happened then

οὔτε γὰρ ἂν ποιητὴς θεόπνουν τὴν ψυχὴν ἔχων ..., οὔτε τις ῥήτωρ ἄκραν εὐτυχήσας ψυχῆς τε εὐφυΐαν ... οὔτε μὴν φιλόσοφος Προνοίας καὶ λόγους ἠκριβωκὼς ... εἰπεῖν τι μετρίως τῶν τηνικαῦτα πραχθέντων ἰσχύσειαν.   Psellos: Chronographia V 24.4-10
No one should blame him for digressing a little from the objective of his account, nor think the digression boastfulness; whatever he has said contributes towards the thread of his account

καὶ μή μέ τις αἰτιάσαιτο, εἴ τι βραχὺ τὸν τοῦ λόγου σκοπὸν παρεκβέβηκα, μηδὲ περιαυτολογίαν οἰηθείη τὴν παρέκβασιν· εἰ γάρ τι καὶ τοιοῦτον εἴρηται, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὸν εἱρμὸν τοῦ λόγου πάντα ξυμβέβληται.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 46.9-13
Of all the women whom he had seen Euprepeia 61 was the most steadfast and hard to influence: Konstantinos 9 was cautious of her, as he has said; Konstantinos 9 did not love her as counsellor (?), but feared rather than cultivated her

γυναικῶν ἁπασῶν ὧν ἐγὼ τεθέαμαι σταθηροτάτην τε οὖσαν καὶ δυσπαράγωγον, ταύτην τοιγαροῦν εὐλαβεῖτο μὲν ὁ ἀδελφός, ὥς μοι εἴρηται, οὐκ ἔστεργε δὲ παραγωγόν, ἀλλ᾿ ἐδεδίει μᾶλλον ἢ περιεῖπεν.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 100.6-9
One could tell more such things of Konstantinos 9 if one wished; if he chose to praise him, the persuasive orator would use things that a historical account would probably reject as appropriate praise: he will mention some examples

ταῦτα μὲν καὶ τοιαῦτα ἐρεῖ ..., εἰ δὲ καὶ ἐγκωμιάζειν αἱροῖτο τὸν ἄνδρα, οὐδ᾿ ἅπερ ὁ τῆς ἱσοτρίας λόγος ἴσως διβαλεῖ ἔξω τῆς προσηκούσης εὐφημίας, ὅ γε πιθανώτατος τῶν ῥητόρων ποιήσαιτο.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 173.1-6
One of the wise men known to him said that Romanos 3, while ignorant of earthly philosophy, examined deeper matters which could be apprehended by Mind alone

περὶ τῶν βαθυτέρων καὶ νῷ μόνῳ ληπτῶν, ὥς τις τῶν καθ’ ἡμᾶς εἶπε σοφῶν, διεσκέπτετο.   Psellos: Chronographia III 13.9-13
Other writers, failing to recognise that imperial actions combine good and bad, neither blame unreservedly nor praise sincerely, deceived by the proximity of opposites; but he recognises blame, except in fabrications

... ἀναμὶξ ἐχόντων τῶν πραγμάτων τοῖς βασιλεῦσι ..., οὔτε ψέγειν καθαρῶς ..., οὔτε εἰλικρινῶς ἐπαινεῖν, ἀλλ᾿ ἐξαπατᾷ ... ἡ τῶν ἐναντίων γειτνίασις· ἐγὼ δὲ ψέγειν μὲν ἀφωσιωσάμην, εἰ μὴ ὅσον ἐν πλάσμασιν.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 25.10-15
People deal with misfortunes according to temperament: some are pessimists, others pleasure-lovers who shrug them off and a third group face trouble with resilience: but he has not yet met with the last type in his own generation

... τρίτη μερὶς ψυχῆς βελτίονος, ..., πρὸς τὰ δεινὰ ἕστηκεν ἐκείνη ἀκλόνητος οὐ φυσικοῖς ἐστηριγμένη τοῖς ἕρμασιν, ἀλλὰ στερρότητι λογισμοῦ καὶ κρίσει βελτίονι ... οὔπω δὴ ἐν τῇ κατ᾿ ἐμὲ κατανενόηκα γενεᾷ.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 97.3-22
Promises to write more precisely about Zoe 1 in the appropriate place, whereas now he is running through his account of the daughters of Konstantinos 8

περὶ ἧς ἐν τοῖς ἰδίοις λόγοις ἐρῶ ἀκριβέστερον, νῦν γὰρ ἐπιτρέχω τὸν περὶ αὐτῶν λόγον.   Psellos: Chronographia II 5.8-9
Proposes to delay discussion of Michael 4's ailment until the account of his reign

τοῦτο μὲν εἰς τὸν περὶ αὐτοῦ λόγον ἀναβεβλήσθω.   Psellos: Chronographia III 22.15-16
Psellos answered three questions from Ioannes 62

Psellos Letters (K - D) 101, 129.3-130.7
Psellos asked Anonymus 2320 for assistance to Anonymus 2321

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 195.489
Psellos asked for another blaze of intellectual excitement from Anonymus 2530

Psellos Letters (K - D) 199, 1-15
Psellos sent Konstantinos 13 bread, wine and fruit

Τῷ πατριάχρχῃ τῷ Λειχούδῃ.   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 68.299-300
Psellos sent Ioannes 62 the first picking of fruit

Psellos Letters (K - D) 234, 284.6-285.17
Psellos wrote to Anonymus 2300 that his recall was being impeded by lack of access to the emperor

Psellos Letters (K - D) #No Reference#
Psellos wrote to Anonymus 2511 about perfection in kinship and friendship

Psellos Letters (K - D) 178, 199.23-200.5
Psellos wrote to Chasanes 102, accepting praise for for his letters

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 189.480-483
Says that Isaakios 1, being devoted to hunting and often brandishing his spear-bearing right arm against bears and boars, was struck in the side by a cold draught

ὁ μὲν γὰρ πολὺς τὴν γλῶτταν Ψελλὸς ἐν θήραις ἐκεῖνον λέγει τὸν βασιλέα σχολάζοντα ....   Zonaras 18.7.2
Since he has not undertaken to write an encomium but to compose an accurate history, he will speak without hiding anything: neither Zoe 1 nor Theodora 1 had a mind suited for rule

καὶ ἵνα γε μηδὲν περικαλυψάμενος εἴπω, οὐ γὰρ ἐγκωμιάζειν νῦν ἐπιβέβλημαι, ἀλλ’ ἱστορίαν ἀκριβῆ ξυντιθέναι, οὐδεμιᾷ τὸ φρόνημα πρὸς ἀρχὴν αὔταρκες.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 5.1-5
Since in this part of the history he has presented himself scrupulously, he will tell nothing false; if anything is not said it will lie hidden, but of what is said, nothing will be in any doubt as regards truth

... ἐμαυτὸν τούτῳ δὴ τῷ μέρει τῆς ἱστορίας ἀκριβῶς ἀνεβίβασα, ἐρῶ οὐδέν τι διαψευδόμενος· ἀλλ᾿ εἴ τι μὲν οὐ λεχθήσεται, ἀποκέκρυπται, τῶν δὲ ῥηθησομένων οὐδέν τι εἴη ἀμφισβητήσιμον πρὸς ἀλήθειαν.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 46.18-22
Since no one is unassailable and each is characterised by what is dominant, why should he be ashamed to declare anything that Konstantinos 9 too had not done justly and fittingly?

ἐπεὶ δὲ οὐδείς ἐστι τῶν πάντων ἀνάλωτος, ἀλλ᾿ ὁ χαρακτὴρ ἑκάστῳ ἀπὸ τοῦ πλείονος, πῶς ἂν ἐξειπεῖν αἰσχυνθείην εἴ τι μὴ καὶ τούτῳ δικαίως καὶ προσηκόντως εἴργασται;.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 26.11-14
So as to examine Leon 62 in all aspects (he notes that) he was quite different in private life, lavish and magnificent, his mind liberal, inaccessible to gifts; he was good company and accommodating to guests

ἵνα δὲ ἐν πᾶσι μέρεσιν τοῦτον παραθεωρήσωμεν, ἀλλοιότερος πως ἐν τοῖς καθ᾿ ἑαυτὸν ἐδόκει πράγμασι· ....   Psellos: Chronographia VIa 9.3-11
So far his account has run smoothly on a smooth and 'royal' road, as the theologians say; but it hesitates to go on and describe the deed which should not have happened, but to say almost the same thing, absolutely had to happen

... μέχρι τοῦδε εὔδρομος ..., καὶ διὰ λείας φέρων καὶ βασιλικῆς τῆς ὁδοῦ, ταῦτα δὴ τὰ θεολογικὰ ῥήματα· ... πρᾶξιν ἣν οὐκ ἔδει μὲν γενέσθαι, ἵνα δὴ παρὰ βραχὺ τἀυτολογήσας ἐρῶ, ἔδει δὴ γενέσθαι παντάπασιν.   Psellos: Chronographia VIIb 42.1-6
So that we can consider Isaakios 1 too in the light of allegory, he will make him sometimes a charioteer, sometimes reckon him among doctors

ἵνα δὴ καὶ τοῦτον τῇ διὰ τῶν ἀλληγοριῶν ἐναργείᾳ κατανοήσωμεν, νῦν μὲν εἰς ἡνίοχον θείημεν, νῦν δὲ τοῖς ἀσκληπιάδαις καταριθμήσωμεν.   Psellos: Chronographia VII 57.7-9
That Michael 7 should submit to Eudokia 1 and desist from government, although he was grown up and intelligent and had tested his intelligence in many things, this is not easy to find comparison for or to praise adequately

τὸ δὲ τὸν Μιχαὴλ ὑπείκειν αὐτῇ καὶ τῶν ὅλων πραγμάτων παραχωρεῖν, ... τοῦτο οὔτε συγκρίνεσθαι πρὸς ἕτερον τοιοῦτον ῥᾴδιον, οὔτε ἀρκούντῶς τινὰ τῶν πάντων δυνατὸν εὐφημεῖν.   Psellos: Chronographia VIIb 2.4-10
The account of Konstantinos 9 seems in some ways contradictory, changing and turning about as Konstantinos did; but he has compiled it truthfully, not rhetorically, making it like Konstantinos and sympathetic to him as emperor

ὁ περὶ αὐτὸν λόγος δοκεῖ πως ἑαυτῷ ἐναντιοῦσθαι, μεταβαλλόμενος ἐκείνῳ καὶ συμπεριτρεπόμενος, σύγκειται δὲ ἀληθῶς, οὐ ῥητορικῶς, πρὸς ἐκεῖνον ἀφομοιούμενος καὶ συμπαθαινόμενος οἷον τῷ βασιλεῖ.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 203.7-11
The appointment of Michael 5 was the beginning of great future ills and this apparent foundation became the overturning of the whole family, as the account will later show

ἦν δὲ ἄρα τὸ γεγονὸς ἀρχὴ μεγάλων ἐσομένων κακῶν, καὶ ὁ δόξας θεμέλιος περιτροπὴ ξύμπαντος αὐτοῖς ἐγεγόνει τοῦ γένους, δηλώσει δὲ ὁ λόγος μετὰ ταῦτα.   Psellos: Chronographia IV 24.1-3
The encomium concludes with bafflement and defeat, with reference to the critics mentioned at the beginning, who indicate that he has failed badly in his struggle to encompass the achievements of Konstantinos 9

Psellos Orationes panegyricae IV, 496-577
The encomium passes on to imperial philanthropy, on the borders (the Pechenegs), in generosity towards plotters (anonymus ex-Scythian, Boilas), in aqueducts and hospitals, and in remembrance of Zoe 1 and respect for Theodora 1

Psellos Orationes panegyricae IV, 170-495
The historian must quickly call back the errant part (digression); while using the other things in a secondary way he should concentrate everything on the subject

δεῖ δὲ τὸν ἱστοροῦντα ταχὺ αὖθις ἐπανακαλεῖν τὸ διαδραμὸν μέρος, καὶ τοῖς μὲν ἄλλοις ἐν παρέργοις χρᾶσθαι, πάντα δὲ πρὸς τὴν ὑπόθεσιν συμπεραίνειν.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 70.13-16
The many who were with him and Romanos 4 on campaign know that he does not exaggerate in this description (of Romanos 4's envy of his strategic knowledge)

εἰδόσι δὲ λέγω πολλοῖς τοῖς τότε ἡμῖν συστρατεύουσιν, ὡς μὴ τῆς διαθέσεως ταύτης εἶναι ὑπερβολήν.   Psellos: Chronographia VIIb 16.8-9
The orator needs only one good theme for praise and by clever handling can constrain even bad deeds into a source of praise; the historian, like a strictly impartial judge, does not incline to either side ... but simply tells what happened

ἀρκεῖ τῷ ῥήτορι καὶ μία ὑπόθεσις σπουδαίαν τὴν πρᾶξιν ἔχουσα ... ὁ δέ γε συντιθεὶς ἱστορίας, ὥσπερ ἀπροσωπόληπτος καὶ ἀδέκαστος δικαστὴς οὐχ ἐτεροκλινής ... ἁπλῶς τε καὶ καθαρῶς τὰ πεπραγμένα διέξεισι.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 161.8-16
The plant (of Zoe 1's and Theodora 1's family) blossomed and put out so many shoots, each with royal fruit, that it was not possible to compare others with it either in beauty or grandeur: but this is a digression in his narrative

οὕτω τὸ φυτευθὲν ἐξηνθήκει καὶ τοσαύταις προὐβάλλετο βλάστας, καὶ ἑκάστην μετὰ τοῦ βασιλείου καρποῦ, ὡς μὴ ἔχειν ἑτέρας ἀντισυγκρῖναι ταύταις, οὔτε πρὸς κάλλος οὔτε πρὸς μέγεθος· ἀλλὰ ... περεμβέβληται .   Psellos: Chronographia VI 1.10-13
The question (of astral influence on human affairs) must be opened up in another enquiry, since it has many points of contention on either side

ἀλλὰ τοῦτο μὲν ὡς πλείους τὰς ἀντιρρήσεις ἔχον ἐξ ἑκατέρου, ἀνακινείσθω εἰς ἕτερον ἔλεγχον.   Psellos: Chronographia V 19.15-17
The return of Romanos 4 became the beginning of trouble and cause of many disasters

ὅπερ δὴ ἀρχέκακον ἐγεγόνει καὶ πολλῶν συμφορῶν αἰτιώτατον.   Psellos: Chronographia VIIb 26.13-14
There is no need to mention the name (of Anonymus 7033)

οὐδὲν δὲ δεῖ λέγειν τοὔνομα.   Psellos: Chronographia VII 77.12
There were distinguished astrologers at this time, who he associated with; they occupied themselves little with movements about the sphere, but with astrological centres and related matters; they made predictions when called upon, some of them accurate

ὑπῆρχε δὲ τηνικαῦτα μοῖρα οὐκ ἀγενὴς τῆς περὶ ταῦτα μαθήσεως, ἄνδρες οἷς κἀγὼ συνωμίλησα, ... προὔλεγόν τι τοῖς πυθομένοις περὶ ὧν ἐπηρωτήκεσαν· καί γε τινες αὐτῶν κατευστόχουν τῶν ἀποκρίσεων.   Psellos: Chronographia V 19.1-12
This proposition (about Konstantinos 9's fickle treatment of his friends) will be a beginning and occasion for (an account of) his own transferral to the better life (of a monk)

τοῦτο δὲ τοῦ λόγου τὸ πρόβλημα ἀρχή τις γενήσεται καὶ ὑπόθεσις τῆς ἐμῆς ἐπὶ τὸν κρείττονα βίον μεταποιήσεως.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 191.1-3
Though philosophers scorn everything excessive here and aim to understand what is necessary to nature as all else belongs outside life, he cannot be ungrateful to one who honoured him extremely (Konstantinos 9) and raised him above others

εἰ γὰρ τῷ φιλοσόφῳ ἀνδρὶ καταπεφρόνηται πᾶν τὸ ἐνταῦθα περιττὸν καὶ περίεργον ..., ἐμοὶ οὐ διὰ ταῦτα ἀγνωμονητέον τῷ ὑπερβαλλόντως τετιμηκότι καὶ ὑπὲρ τοὺς ἄλλους ὑψώσαντι.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 24.1-6
Through time the collection of historical material is already deficient for an account, so that there is a risk that events will be obscured by long time and in this respect the past would have no foundation

τῷ χρόνῳ ἤδη τὸν λόγον ἡ τῆς ἱστορίας συναγωγὴ ἐπιλέλοιπεν, ὡς κινδυνεύειν τε μακρῷ τῷ χρόνῳ καλυφθῆναι τὰ πράγματα, καὶ ὅσον ἐπὶ τούτῳ τῷ μέρει τοὺς ἄνω χρόνους μὴ ἐσχηκέναι ὑπόστασιν .   Psellos: Chronographia VI 22.5-8
To avoid being accused of departing from the truth: Ioannes 18 and Ioannes 289 were devotees of philosophy, while he was occupied with the highest philosophy

καί, εἰ μή μέ τις αἰτιώσαιτο μηδὲν τῆς ἀληθείας ἐφιέμενον, ἐκείνω μὲν ἐραστὰ τῆς φιλοσοφίας ἐτύγχανον ὄντε, ἐγὼ δὲ ἐφιλοσόφουν τὰ τελεώτερα.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 192.6-9
To boast a little about his own natural adaptability, he was all things to Konstantinos 9, living as a philosopher as far as possible, but accommodating himself skilfully to Konstantinos

καὶ εἰ δεῖ τι μικρὸν τῇ τῆς φύσεως ἐπιτηδειότητι ἐγκαυχήσασθαι, παντοδαπὸς ἐγεγόνειν ἐκείνῳ. φιλοσόφως μὲν ὡς οἷόν τε βιούς, τεχνικῶς δὲ πρὸς ἐκεῖνον μεθαρμοζόμενος.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 197(2).1-4
To describe in detail every deed or word and, as it were, to deal in trivia is not the role of the historian, but of the critic if the details are small or of the eulogist if they provide grounds for praise

τὸ γὰρ ἐφ᾿ ἑκάστῳ τῶν πραττομένων ἢ λεγομένων σμικρολογεῖσθαι καὶ οἷον λεπτολογεῖν, οὐχ ἱστορούντων ἐστὶν ἀλλ᾿ ἢ καταιτιωμένων εἰ φαῦλα τὰ σμικρολογούμενα εἴη, ἢ ἐγωμιαζόντων εἰ τόπους ἐγκωμίων ἐπέχοιεν.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 70.5-9
To prevent his account seeming confused, he will first tell how the state got out of hand, then how Isaakios 1 tried to prune it but, third, did not always succeed; then he will tell how Isaakios 1 demitted rule and end his history

ἵνα δὲ μὴ συγκεχυμένος ἡμῖν ὁ λόγος φανείη, ἐρῶμεν πρότερον ὅπως ἡμῖν τὸ τῆς πολιτείας ἐπερίττευσε σῶμα, ... ἐφ᾿ οἷς ἐπενεγκὼν ὅπως ἀποβεβήκει τῆς βασιλείας ὅρον τῇ ξυγγραφῇ θήσομαι.   Psellos: Chronographia VII 51.22-7
Took his material from others in speaking about Basileios 2 and Konstantinos 8, but sketched Romanos 3 himself, not through having learned from another

περὶ ἐκείνων μὲν ἐξ ἑτέρων τὰς ἀφορμὰς εἰληφὼς εἴρηκα, τοῦτον δὲ αὐτὸς ὑπογράφω, οὐ παρ’ ἑτέρῳ μεμαθηκώς.   Psellos: Chronographia III 1.17-19
Unless they stand over us like gods, (some emperors) would be unwilling to rule; he himself has seen some who would gladly die rather than have certain people as allies or hold power because of them

εἰ μὴ ὡς θεοὶ ἡμῖν έφεστήκοιεν, οὐκ ἂν ἄλλως ἄρχειν ἐθέλωσιν· ἐνίους δὲ αὐτὸς καθεώρακα ὡς ἐθέλουσιν ἥδιστ᾿ ἂν ἀποθανεῖν, μὴ συμμαχούντων ἐνίων αὐτοῖς, ἢ δι᾿ ἐκείνους κρατύνεσθαι.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 74.20-3
Using a characterisation rather than an encomium, he pictured Leon 62 as a heroic and inflexible ideal

Λόγος χαρακτηρίζων τὴν τοῦ πρωτοσυγκέλλου ἀρετήν.   Psellos Orationes panegyricae XV, 1-141
Were he to write history instead of panegyric, how would he omit historical points but treat the panegyrical, as if forgetting his brief, discarding his art, not distinguishing subjects, but uniting to one end things with different aims?

... πῶς ἃ τῶν ἱστοριῶν ἐστιν ὑπερβαίνων, ἃ τῶν ἐγκωμίων ἐστὶν ἐργάσωμαι, ὥσπερ ἐπιλαθόμενος τῆς ἐπιχειρήσεως, ἢ διαγράφων τὴν τέχνην, ..., ἀλλ᾿ εἰς ταὐτὸ τέλος συνελαύνων, ὧν διάφοροι οἱ σκοποί.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 25.1-6
What follows will be told with more truth and greater understanding

εἰρήσεται δὲ ἐν τοῖς ἐξῆς ἀληθέστερόν τε καὶ συνετώτερον.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 10.1-2
When Romanos 3 was dead and Michael 4 held the sceptre, after waiting a short time Michael grew forgetful of her, as his account made clear

τῆς τε βασιλίδος, ὡς ὁ λόγος ἐγνώρισε, βραχύν τινα χρόνον ἀναμείνας ἐπιλέληστο.   Psellos: Chronographia V 35.5-8
When power inclined towards Zoe 1, first of all (as he has already said) she took precautions in the pressing circumstances by courting strength for herself not from afar but close at hand

... πρῶτα μὲν ἥδ᾿ ὥς μοι προείρηται, τὴν τοῦ καιροῦ εὐλαβουμένη ὀξύτητα οὐ πόρρωθεν, ἀλλ᾿ ἐγγύθεν τὴν ἰσχὺν ἑαυτῇ ἐμνηστεύετο.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 18.1-4
While not finding much else to praise in Zoe 1, ... he continued to admire one thing, that in her love of God she surpassed all women and all males

... οὐ λίαν ἐπαινεῖν ἔχων, ἕν τοῦτο θαυμάζων διατελῶ, ὅτι δὴ φιλοθεΐᾳ πάσας μὲν γυναῖκας, πᾶσαν δὲ φύσιν ὑπερεβάλλετο ἄρρενα.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 65.1-5
While wishing to speak about Michael 6, he will give a short preliminary account

περὶ οὗ ἐρεῖν βουλόμενος, βραχύ τι προσκαταστήσω τὸν λόγον.   Psellos: Chronographia VIa 21.5-7
Why not tell the truth (that he himself served under Konstantinos 9)? ... Naturally he will overstep the limit of his narrative for the other emperors

τί γὰρ δεῖ μὴ τἀληθῆ λέγειν ... τὸ μέτρον εἰκότως τῶν εἰς τοὺς ἄλλους βασιλέας λόγων ὑπερβήσομαι.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 14.8, 12-13
Why should he not speak the truth (about his conversations with Konstantinos 9)?

τί γὰρ δεῖ μὴ τἀληθὲς λέγειν;.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 197.15
Words are inadequate to describe the events that followed and the mind does not take in the measure of Providence: he speaks judging others' views by his own

τὰ δὲ ἐντεῦθεν καὶ ὁ λόγος ἐλάττων πρὸς τὴν τῶν πεπραγμένων διήγησιν, ὅ τε νοῦς οὐ χωρεῖ τῆς Προνοίας τὸ μέτρον· λέγω δὲ τοῖς ἐμοῖς καὶ τὰ τῶν ἄλλων κρίνων.   Psellos: Chronographia V 24.1-4
Wrote a work in which he boasts of his role in the renunciation by the court of the emperor (Romanos 4, after his capture at Mantzikert)

καθὼς καὶ αὐτὸς ἔν τινι τῶν ἰδίων συγγραμμάτων μεγαλαυχεῖ.   Skylitzes Continuatus 152.23-24
Death (1)
His death is reported in a letter of consolation to his brother (Anonymus 272) from Theophylaktos 105

τοῦ Ψελλοῦ θανόντος. Theophylaktos of Ohrid, Letters 589.1
Description (44)
Even before the fruit was ripe the flower prophesied the future for him

ἐμοὶ δὲ καὶ πρὸ τοῦ τελείου καρποῦ ἡ ἄνθη τὸ μέλλον προεμαντεύετο.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 44.1-2
He knew that Ioannes 63 had a very fine character

ὁ δὲ κάλλιστος ὢν τὸ ἦθος ὧν ἐγὼ οἶδα.   Psellos: Chronographia VII 71.7-8
Konstantinos 10 was so attached to him and loved him so much more than others, that he hung upon his tongue and soul and entrusted to him his most precious possessions

οὕτω προσέκειτο καὶ οὕτω διαφερόντως τῶν ἄλλων ὑπερηγάπα, ὡς ἐξηρτῆσθαί μου καὶ τῆς γλώττης καὶ τῆς ψυχῆς, καὶ αὐτῷ δή μοι πιστεύειν τὰ τιμιώτατα.   Psellos: Chronographia VII 86.8-11
None of the emperors in his lifetime praised and admired him more than Isaakios 1

οὐδεὶς γάρ με τῶν ἐπὶ τῆς ἐμῆς ἡλικίας αὐτοκρατόρων πλέον ἐκείνου ἐπῄνεσεν ἢ ἐθαύμασε.   Psellos: Chronographia VIIa 8.13-15
An advisor to Romanos 4

τοῖς τε συμβούλοις.   Skylitzes Continuatus 141.14
Although he had not seen him before coming to power, when he had once seen him Konstantinos 9 was so captivated by his eloquence that he seemed to hang by the ears from his tongue

ὅς γε οὔπω με πρὸ τοῦ κράτους ἑωρακὼς, ἐπειδὴ ἅπαξ εἶδεν, οὕτω μου ἑαλώκει τῶν λόγων ὡς δοκεῖν ἐκ τῶν ὤτων τῆς ἐμῆς γλώττης ἐκκρέμασθαι.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 161.26-8
He was told that even in simple utterances his tongue was adorned with flowers and without his making an effort natural sweetness dripped from it; he would not know it had not many told him in conversation and listened rapt to his words

ἐπιμαρτύρεται γοῦν ἐμοὶ ὅτι μοι ἡ γλῶττα κἀν ταῖς ἁπλαῖς διήνθισται προφοραῖς, καὶ οὐδὲν ἐπιτηδευομένῳ φυσικαί τινες ἐκεῖθεν ἡδύτητες ἀποστάζουσιν· ... δικέχυντο εἴ τινες τῶν ἐμῶν λόγων ἀκούσειαν.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 45.1-3
Was under-secretary to Michael 5

ὑπογραμματεύων τῷ βασιλεῖ.   Psellos: Chronographia V 27.7
Eudokia 1 reverenced him above all others and treated him like a god

καί με ὑπὲρ πάντας ἐθείαζέ τε καὶ ἐξεθείαζεν.   Psellos: Chronographia VIIb 4.14-15
A man of unrivaled eloquence (he was already dead when Theophylaktos 105 wrote about his grandson Anonymus 234)

τῷ τρισμακαρίτῃ ὑπερτίμῳ τῷ Ψελλῷ καὶ ἀπαραμίλλῳ τὴν γλῶτταν.   Theophylaktos of Ohrid, Letters 219.4-5
Of mighty tongue

ὁ μὲν γὰρ πολὺς τὴν γλῶτταν Ψελλός.   Zonaras 18.7.2
Long since under-secretary to the emperor (Michael 5) and recently initiated into the service of introductions

πόρρωθεν ὑπογραμματεύων τῷ βασιλεῖ καὶ ἄρτι μεμυημένος τὰ προεισόδια.   Psellos: Chronographia V 27.7-8
Friend of Anonymus 7009 and his associate in the planning and execution of the decisions

φίλος τε ὢν ἐκείνῳ, καὶ εἰς βουλὴν ἅμα καὶ πρᾶξιν τῶν ἐγνωσμένων παραληφθείς.   Psellos: Chronographia V 39.3-5
Lover of his city and of the Romans (in the opinion of Konstantinos 9)

ἐπεὶ με ᾔδει φιλόπολιν τε ὄντα καὶ φιλορώμαιον.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 190.6-7
Ioannes 18 and Ioannes 289 were older, and he much younger than they

ἐκείνω μὲν ἤστην πρεσβυτέρω, ἐγὼ δὲ παρὰ πολὺ ἐκείνων νεώτερος.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 192.5-6
Just as he was senior in learning, so too his spiritual progress was comparably advanced and he was senior to Ioannes 18 and Ioannes 104 in the palace

ἐμοὶ δὲ ἄρα ὥσπερ ὁ λόγος ἐγεγόνει πρεσβύτερος, καὶ τὰ τῆς ψυχῆς, ἵν᾿ οὕτως εἴποιμι, κατὰ τὸ ὅμοιον προὔλαβε, καὶ πρώτως ἐκείνων ἐφεστήκειν τοῖς ἀνακτόροις.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 192.12-15
It was in his character not to be a coward once engaged in a contest

ὁποῖος τὸ ἦθος μὴ ἀποδειλιῶν ἅπαξ τοῖς ἀγῶσιν ἐγκαταστὰς.   Psellos: Chronographia VII 28.2-3
Konstantinos 10 thought less of others than of him, perhaps because Konstantinos 10 thought his opinions more intelligent than the rest or found his character pleasing

τῶν μὲν ἄλλων ἦττον ἐφρόντιζεν, ἐμοὶ δὲ, εἴτε τι καθεωρακὼς ἐν ταῖς γνώμαις τῶν γε λοιπῶν πλέον, εἰς σύνεσιν, εἴτε τῷ ἤθει μου ἀρεσκόμενος.   Psellos: Chronographia VII 86.5-8
He was a prominent orator, renowned for his eloquence rather than his family; Konstantinos 10 also loved rhetoric passionately and this was the starting-point of their friendship and intimacy

ἤνθουν μὲν τηνικαῦτα ἐπὶ τοὺς λόγους ἐγώ, καί με ἡ γλῶττα μᾶλλον ἢ τὸ γένος ἐκήρυττε, λόγων δὲ ἐραστὴς ἐκεῖνος ..., τοῦτο οὖν μοι πρῶτον ἀφορμὴ φιλίας πρὸς ἐκεῖνον ἐγεγόνει καὶ οἰκειότητος.   Psellos: Chronographia VIIa 7.3-7
He found his father Anonymus 2134 a good companion and useful role-model, while he was always too far behind his mother Theodote 2101 in goodness to think of imitating her; his father's relation to his mother seemed similar

Psellos Mother 19-20
A man distinguished for his knowledge

ἄνδρα τῶν καθ᾿ ἡμᾶς διαφέροντα γνώσει.   Attaleiates: History 21.20 / 17.21-22
With his reputation for philosophy (justified or not), he had to be careful of gossip about his actions

καί με ἀξιοῦσιν οἱ πλείους μηδὲ τῆς γῆς ἅπτεσθαι τοῖν ποδοῖν.   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 1.219
In the palace, though honoured, he felt like a plain stone among gems and a very black element among the very white (surely he was already a monk?)

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 37.270-271
He was rather masculine in his studies but feminine and emotional over things like childbirth - though he kissed his grandson while still bloody like a warrior

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 72.307-308
Born near the monastery of ta Narsou and brought up there, he tried to repay his debt; the monks were wrong to call him its founder, but he did support them in a significant way (as charistikarios?)

γεγέννημαι γὰρ περὶ αὐτὴν καὶ ἀνατέθραμμαι ἐν αὐτῇ [...] οἰκήτορα [...] κτήτορα [...] κοσμήτορα.   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 135.378-379
He was susceptible to natural events like childbirth, though being tough, "Scythian", in the rest of his life ... he was not a single, monotonous note, but could play a variety of different tunes

θάτερον δὲ μέρος Σκυθικόν ... παντοδαπὸν ἔχω τὸ μέλος.   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 157.409, 411
On his first visits to Philadelpheia (in the decade of the 1030s) his hair had been blondish, but by 1069 (?) on his third visit, it was silverish: yet the inhabitants recognised him

ὑποξάνθου ... ὑπαργυρίζουσα.   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 180.459-460
He claimed to have a high reputation everywhere and students from all over the world

Κελτοὺς ... ῎Αραβας ... Νεῖλος ... Περσῶν ... Αἰθιόπων ... Βαβυλῶνος.   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 207.508
He was a good judge of faces, able to spot worthless men pretending to be virtuous

ἔστι γάρ μοι τέχνη περὶ τοὺς χαρακτῆρας τοῦ σώματος.   Psellos Letters (K - D) 10, 12.4-5
He was naturally disposed towards charity for the unfortunate

πρὸς ἔλεον τῶν δυστυχούντων.   Psellos Letters (K - D) 70, 103.19-21
Konstantinos 8 died when he had completed his first lessons

... τετελεύτηκεν, ὁ δέ γε Κωνστατνῖνος ἄρτι τὰ πρῶτα τελουμένῳ μαθήματα.   Psellos: Chronographia III 1.12-13
He was a contemporary of Anonymus 2127

γέγονέ τις ἐν τῇ κατ᾿ ἐμὲ ἡλικία.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 135.1
(After defeating the Pechenegs) something was added to Isaakios 1's natural character and he became more haughty and scornful of everyone; he knew Isaakios well and was aware of this

ἐντεῦθεν, ὁπόσα ἐγὼ οἶδα ἀκριβέστερον τὴν ἐκείνου καταμανθάνων ψυχήν, προσέθετο τῷ ἐμφύτῳ ἤθει, καὶ σοβαρώτερος ἐγεγόνει, καταπεφρονήκει γοῦν ἁπάντων.   Psellos: Chronographia VII 71.1-3
An envoy of the emperor (Michael 6) to Komnenos (Isaakios 1), he was considered to be the most distinguished man of his time in wisdom and eloquence

πρεσβευταὶ βασιλέως...ἐπὶ σοφίᾳ καὶ λόγου δυνάμει τῶν κατὰ τὴν ἡμέραν ἐκείνην ἀνθρώπων διαφέρειν δοκοῦντες, καὶ ἀσυγκρίτως ὁ Ψελλός.   Skylitzes 496.81-86
"Philosopher" (so addressed by Isaakios 1)

ὦ φιλόσοφε.   Psellos: Chronographia VII 41.5
Michael 7's mental disposition, innate spirit, radiance on seeing him, ..., his elevation (of him) not only over wise men he had seen, but also over those he had heard of, in all this Michael 7 could not be compared with another

τὸ δὲ ἐνδιάθετον τῆς γνώμης, τὸ δὲ ἔμφυτον τῆς ψυχῆς, τὸ δὲ διαχεῖσθαί μοι εὐθὺς θεασάμενον ..., και τὸ ὑπεραίρειν οὐχ ὅσων ὁρῷη σοφῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὅσων ἀκούοι, ταῦτα οὐκ ἄν τις παραμετρεῖν ... δύναιτο.   Psellos: Chronographia VIIc 8.9-14
He had gone with Anonymus 7009 after Michael 5 with feelings by no means moderate, since he was was not without pain concerning Zoe 1 and no small anger against Michael 5 stirred even him

τέως δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς οὐ πάνυ τι συνεληλύθειν ἐπιεικῶς, οὐ γὰρ ἦν ἐπὶ τῇ βασιλίδι ἀνάλγητος, ἀλλὰ κἀμὲ βραχύς τις ἐπ’ ἐκεῖνον ὑπεκίνει θυμός.   Psellos: Chronographia V 40.1-3
He was in the habit of advising emperors on the most suitable action

ὅπερ δὴ ποιεῖν εἴωθα τὰ συνοίσοντα τοῖς βασιλεύουσι παραινεῖν.   Psellos: Chronographia VIIb 12.1-2
Hypertimos, he was leader of the senators who shared the views of Ioannes 62 and Anonymi 6049, being himself also unfavourably disposed to (Romanos 4) Diogenes

ὧν ἐξῆρχεν ὁ ὑπέρτιμος Ψελλός, δύσνους καὶ αὐτὸς τῷ Διογενει τυγχάνων.   Zonaras 18.15.3
Ambassador

οἱ πρεσβευταί.   Zonaras 18.3.15
Romanos 4 agreed that he was inferior in all respects to Michael 61 in words, that is in those that concerned the sciences, but Romanos wished to be superior in the understanding of strategy

Λόγων μὲν οὖν ἡττᾶσθαι τῶν ἐμῶν ἐπὶ πᾶσι διωμολόγει, λέγω δὲ τῶν περὶ τὰς ἐπιστήμας, ἐβούλετο δέ μου τὸ πλέον ἔχειν τῆς στραηγικῆς συνέσεως.   Psellos: Chronographia VIIb 16.1-3
As if hit by a whirlwind he stood dumb and open-mouthed, transformed by the strangeness of the thing (on seeing Michael 5 at the altar)

ὥσπερ δὲ τυφῶνι βληθεὶς αὖος εἱστηκειν καὶ ἀχανής, πρὸς τὴν καινοτομίαν μεταβεβλημένος τοῦ πράγματος.   Psellos: Chronographia V 40.9-11
All-wise

πανσόφῳ.   Psellos: Chronographia Introduction
The emperor Basileios 2 died when he was still an infant

ὁ μὲν γὰρ βασιλεὺς Βασίλειος ἐπὶ νηπίῳ μοι τετελεύτηκεν.   Psellos: Chronographia III 1.11-12
Dignity/Office (36)
Asekretis

ἀσηκρῆτις.   Psellos Oratoria minora 44.16
Hypatos of the philosophers

ὁ τῶν φιλοσόφων ὕπατος.   Skylitzes 496.83

τῶν φιλοσόφων ὕπατος.   Skylitzes Continuatus 141.15-16

τῶν φιλοσόφων ὢν ὕπατος.   Zonaras 18.3.2, 18.16.8

φιλοσοφίαν ὑπατεύειν.   Psellos Hypomnema 19-20

ὑπάτου τῶν φιλοσόφων.   Psellos Malik-shah 1t
Hypertimos

ὑπέρτιμος.   Glykas 612.1

ὑπερτίμου.   Psellos Oratoria minora 10.1

ὑπέρτιμος.   Skylitzes Continuatus 141.15

ὑπερτίμῳ.   Theophylaktos of Ohrid, Letters 219.4

ὑπέρτιμος.   Zonaras 18.15.3, 1816.8

ὑπερτίμῳ.   Psellos: Chronographia Introduction 1.2

ὑπερτίμου.   Psellos Poema 17 (tit.)

ὑπέρτιμος.   Psellos Letters (K - D) 147, 173.22

ὑπέρτιμον.   Psellos Letters (K - D) 261, 307.9

ὑπέρτιμον.   Psellos Letters (K - D) 268, 314.9, 314.12

ὑπερτίμου.   Psellos Malik-shah 1t

ὑπερτίμου.   Psellos De omnifari doctrina t
Hypogrammateus

ὑπογραμματευομένων ἡμῶν.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 61.1-2

ὑπογραμματεύων.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 170.11

ὑπογραμματεύειν.   Psellos: Chronographia VIIa 7.12
Kouropalates

ἀνάβασιν.   Psellos Letters (Gautier) 21.21-22
Krites of Armeniakon

ὅ ποτε τοῦ σοῦ θέματος δικαστής.   Psellos Letters (K - D) 136, 161.14-163.12
Krites of Boukellarion

δικάσαντος ἐν τῷ θέματι.   Psellos Letters (K - D) 65, 99.5-7
Krites of Thrakesion

τὰς κρίσεις τοῦ θέματος πιστευθείς.   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 180.459
Proedros

προεδρίαν.   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 108.352

πρόεδρος.   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 165.423

πρόεδρον.   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 172.440
Proedros of the philosophers

πρόεδρον τῶν φιλοσόφων.   Attaleiates: History 21.19 / 17.21
Proedros of the senate

πρόεδρον ... τῆς συγκλήτου βουλῆς.   Psellos: Chronographia VII 42.5-6
Protoasekretis

πρωτοασηκρῆτις.   Psellos Oratoria minora 29.1
Protoproedros

πρωτοπρόεδρος.   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 184.469

πρωτοπρόεδρον.   Psellos Letters (K - D) 35, 58.11
Vestarches

βεστάρχου.   Psellos Hypomnema 3
Vestes

βέστης.   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 88.332

βέστης.   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 89.334
Education (37)
Michael 7 was being taught by him to compose iambics

ἰάμβους συντιθέναι πρὸς τοῦ Ψελλοῦ ἐδιδάσκετο.   Zonaras 18.17.10
Andronikos 62 causes him embarassment by denying that the antipodes exist, as they would hang from their feet on their head

ἐμοὶ γοῦν πράγματα παρέχει περὶ τῶν ἀντιπόδων διαλεγόμενος, ἀπαρνούμενος τούτους, ἵνα μὴ τῶν ποδῶν ἐς κεφαλὴν αἰωροῖντο.   Psellos: Chronographia VIIc 14.3-5
Although he has thrust the books away from his hand, many people think that he can predict the future

ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐκ χειρὸς ἀπωσάμενον τὰ βιβλία αὖθις με ἀξιοῦσι προλέγειν.   Psellos: Chronographia VIa 10.12-13
As it were completing a circuit, he came down to philosophers like Plotinos, Porphyry and Iamblichos; next he advanced to the most marvellous Proklos and putting in at his great harbour drew from there the whole science and exact understanding of concepts

... ὥσπερ περίοδον ἐκπληρῶν ἐς Πλωτίνους καὶ Πορφυρίους καὶ Ἰαμβλιχους κατῄειν, μεθ᾿ οὓς ὁδῷ προβαίνων εἰς τὸν θαυμασιώτατον Πρόκλον ... κατασχών, πᾶσαν ἐκεῖθεν ἐπιστήμην τε καὶ νοήσεων ἀκρίβειαν ἔσπασα.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 38.1-5
At the age of 16 he had just (precociously) left the study of poetry and was, with pleasure, beginning that of rhetoric, while acting as assistant to Anonymus 2138

Psellos Mother 28
At the age of 5 he was sent by his mother Theodote 2101 to a teacher and enjoyed the lessons like a game

Psellos Mother 12
At the age of 8 he was sent (at his own and his mother Theodote 2101's wish) for more difficult education, against the opposition of other family members

Psellos Mother 12
At twenty-five he was engaged in serious studies, with two objectives, to mould his tongue into fine shape by rhetoric and to purify his mind by philosophy

... εἰκοστὸν πέμπτον ἔτος ἄγων τῆς ἡλικίας τοῖς σπουδαιοτέροις προσανεῖχον μαθήμασι· περὶ δύο γὰρ ταῦτα ἐσπουδακώς, ῥητορικοῖς μὲν λόγοις τὴν γλῶτταν πλάσασθαι πρὸς εὐπρέπειαν καὶ φιλοσοφίᾳ καθᾶραι τὸν νοῦν.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 36.1-5
Having heard that philosophy was important in Greece, expressed in simple terms and propositions, and that these were, as it were, its pillars and limits, condemning those who belittled this, he set out to discover something more

... μέγα τι περὶ φιλοσοφίας ἐν τῇ ῾Ελλάδι ἀκούων, ἐν φωναῖς τισὶν ἁπλαῖς καὶ προτάσεσι κατεμάνθανον, καὶ ἦν ταῦτα ὠσανεὶ στῆλαι καὶ ὅρια, καταγνοὺς τῶν περὶ ταῦτα σμικρολογουμένων ἐζήτησά τι πλέον εὑρεῖν.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 37.9-13
He applied himself to arithmetical methods and geometrical demonstrations, which some call "necessities", and also to music and astronomy and the other disciplines subsidiary to them, omitting none

ἀριθμῶν τε μεθόδοις ἑαυτὸν ἐντείνας καὶ γεωμετρικὰς ἀποδείξεις ἀναλαμβάνων, ἃς ἀνάγκας τινὲς ὀνομάζουσιν, ἔτι τε μουσικοῖς καὶ ἀστρονομικοῖς ἐνδιδοὺς λόγοις καὶ εἴ τινες ἄλλαι μαθήσεις ταύταις ὑπόκεινται ....   Psellos: Chronographia VI 39.1-5
He came upon some of the interpreters of philosophy and learned from them the path of knowledge; passing from one to the next, the lesser to the greater..., he came to Aristotle and Plato, to whom their predecessors were glad to come second

... τὴν ὁδὸν παρ᾿ αὐτῶν ἐδιδασκόμην τῆς γνώσεως, ..., καὶ οὖτος εἰς ᾽Αριστοτέλην καὶ Πλάτωνα, ὧν δὴ καὶ οἱ πρὸ ἐκείνων ἠγάπησαν εἰ εὐθὺς τὰ δευτερεῖα μετ᾿ ἐκείνοις εἰλήχασιν.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 37.13-18
He did not think it right to neglect one branch of literary study, like most men, and concentrate either on rhetoric or philosophy, and while rich in wondrous concepts to scorn the flower of discourse, the art of division and arrangement

... ἐν θαυμασίοις πλουτοῦντα νοήμασι τῆς τῶν λέξεων κατολιγωρεῖν ἄνθης καὶ τῆς κατὰ τέχνην διαιρέσεώς τε καὶ τάξεως.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 41.1-17
He drew into his mind the second-hand imitations (of learning) and once assembled begrudged them to none, but imparted to all what he had gathered with much toil, not selling his words for a fee, but even giving to any who wished to receive

εἴδωλα ἅττα καὶ αὐτὰ δεύτερα τῇ ἐμῇ συνεσπασάμην ψυχῇ καὶ συλλαβὼν οὐδενὶ τούτων ἐβάσκηνα ... οὐ μισθοῦ τοὺς λόγους πωλῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ προσεπιδιδοὺς εἴ τις λαμβάνειν ἐβούλετο.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 43.9-13
He first went over each subject individually, then he united all, since through one another they reach a single end as the "Epinomis" implies; so through these studies he launched himself towards higher ones

πρῶτα μὲν κατὰ μίαν ἑκάστην διεξιών, εἶθ᾿ ἁπάσας συνάψας, ὡς δι᾿ ἀλλήλων ἡκούσας εἰς ἓν, ὡς ἡ Ἐπινομὶς βούλεται, οὕτω διὰ τούτων τοῖς ὑψολοτέροις ἐπέβαλλον.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 39.5-8
He had recently perfected rhetoric so as to distinguish the central theme and link primary and secondary points to it, not to fear the art altogether nor follow it like a child in all things, but to contribute something more in the details

...ὥστε καὶ διελεῖν δύνασθαι τὸ ἄρθρον τῆς ὑποθέσεως καὶ τοὺς πρώτους καὶ δευτέρους λόγους εἰς τοῦτο συνενεγκεῖν, καὶ μὴ πάντα τὴν τέχνην δεδίεναι ... ἀλλὰ καὶ πλέον τι συνεισενεγκεῖν ἐν τοῖς μέρεσι.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 36.5-10
He has also studied horoscopes, but has not misused any knowledge banned by the church; he does not believe the positions of the stars affect events in our world; he rejects those who argue that the irrational stars inhabit our bodies

ἐπεὶ δὲ καὶ πρὸς τὸ γενεθλιαλογικὸν μέρος προσνένευκα, ὥς τι τῶν ἐκεῖθεν λήρων ἐπιστασθαι ... οὐδεμιᾷ δὲ τῶν ἀπειρημένων τοῖς θεοσόφοις κατεχρησάμην ἐπιστημῶν ....   Psellos: Chronographia VIa 11.1-17
He heard from more advanced philosophers that there is a wisdom beyond even demonstration, known only to the mind prudently inspired; he did not bypass it but reading mystic books, took in this too as far as possible and strength allowed

... ἐστι τις καὶ ὑπὲρ τὴν ἀπόδειξιν σοφία, ἣν μόνος εἶδεν ὁ σωφρόνως ἐνθουσιάζων νοῦς ... ἀλλά τισι βιβλίοις ἀρρήτοις ἐντετυχηκώς, ὁπόσον εἰκὸς καὶ ἡ φύσις μοι ἔρρωτο, καὶ ταῦτ᾿ εἰσεδεξάμην.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 40.1-5
He hoped by (his course of study) to apprehend anything further that was beyond mind or beyond substance

... ἵν᾿ ἐντεῦθεν εἴ τι καὶ ὑπὲρ ταῦτα ὑπέρνουν ἢ ὑπερούσιον καταλήψομαι.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 38.11-12
He knows from reading pagan works that the vapour sent into the air from perfumes drives away evil spirits, while introducing to underlying matter the presence of better powers, just as stones, herbs and rituals call up divine apparitions

οἶδα μὲν ἀναγνοὺς λόγους ἑλληνικούς, ὡς ὁ ἀναπεμπόμενος εἰς ἀέρα τῶν ἀρωμάτων ἀτμὸς ἀπελαύνει μὲν τὸ πονηρὰ πνεύματα, ἐπεισκρίνει δὲ ταῖς ὑποκειμέναις ὕλαις τὰς τῶν κρειττόνων παρουσίας ....   Psellos: Chronographia VI 67.1-5
He studied the new higher philosophy (Christianity), which completes the mystery of the word for us; it is also twofold, divided by nature and by time, capable of proof while arising from imagination and inspired knowledge in some

... ἑτέρα φιλοσοφία, ἣν τὸ τοῦ καθ᾿ ἡμᾶς λόγου μυστήριον συμπληροῖ ... διπλόην τήν τε ἐν ἀποδείξεσιν καὶ ὅση ἐξ ἐπινοίας καὶ τεθειασμένης ἐγγίνεταί τισι γνώσεως, περὶ ταύτην ... ἐσπούδασα.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 42.1-6
He turned to philosophy being sufficiently acquainted with reasoning, both from causes to immediate consequences, and from various effects; and he engaged in natural questions and aspired to the fundamental philosophy through mathematics

φιλοσοφίας εἰχόμην, καὶ τοῦ συλλογίζεσθαι ἱκανῶς ἔχων, ἢ ἄνωθεν καὶ ἀμέσως, ἢ ἐκ τῶν μετέπειτα καὶ παντοδαπῶς, τῶν τε φυσικῶν λόγων ἡψάμην καὶ πρὸς τὴν πρώτην φιλοσοφίαν διὰ τῆς μέσης ἀνεπτερούμην γνώσεως.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 36.10-14
He was asked daily questions by his mother Theodote 2101, confirming his memory by having him tell her what he had learned, staying up late with him as he struggled with his work; he felt the debt to her, which he had no way of repaying

Psellos Mother 20-21
He would like to be praised not for gathering his limited part of wisdom from a flowing source, but because, finding the streams blocked, he unstopped and purified them andwith great effort drew up the water lying in the deep

ὅτι μὴ ἐκ ῥεούσης πηγῆς εἴ τί μοι σοφίας μέρος συνείλκεται ἠρανισάμην, ἀλλ᾿ ἐμπεφραγμένας εὑρηκὼς ἀνεστόμωσά τε καὶ ἀνεκάθηρα, καὶ ἐν βάθει που τὸ νᾶμα κείμενον σὺν πολλῷ ἀνείλκυσα πνεύματι.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 42.13-17
He would not himself boast of accurate knowledge (of the wisdom beyond demonstration), nor would he trust another who did

τὸ γὰρ δι᾿ ἀκριβείας ταῦτα εἰδέναι, οὔτ᾿ ἂν αὐτὸς περὶ ἑαυτοῦ σεμνολογήσαιμι, οὔτ᾿ ἄλλῳ πιστεύσαιμι λέγοντι.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 40.5-7
He, Ioannes 18 and Ioannes 289 were brought together by love of learning; ... (to avoid accusations of departing from the truth) they were devotees of philosophy, while he was occupied with the highest philosophy

λόγος δὲ τῆς συμφυΐας ὁ τῶν μαθημάτων ἐγένετο λόγος· ... ἐκείνω μὲν ἐραστὰ τῆς φιλοσοφίας ἐτύγχανον ὄντε, ἐγὼ δὲ ἐφιλοσόφουν τὰ τελεώτερα.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 192.4-9
His education at first was directed towards rhetoric, because he came late to philosophy

Psellos Niketas Maïstor 89-90
In an oration he sometimes elegantly introduces a scientific demonstration, while a philosophical topic he embellishes with the graceful arts, so that the reader confronted with a difficult concept may not lose the philosophical argument

ῥητορικὴν ὑπόθεσιν μελετῶν, ἔστιν οὗ καὶ ἀπόδειξίν τινα ἐπιστήμονα οὐκ ἀκόμψως εἰσάγω ... ἵνα μὴ πρὸς τὸ μέγεθος τοῦ νοήματος ἡ τοῦ ἀναγίνωσκοντος ψυχὴ δυσπαραδεκτήσασα τοῦ φιλοσοφουμένου λόγου στερίσκοιτο.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 41.17-23
In one year he learned all of orthography and the whole Iliad - not just the poem , but several kinds of analytical details; he dreamed of catching talking birds and defeating them; he went on to even higher studies, including music

Psellos Mother 14-15
In some respects he followed the declarations of the great Fathers on Christianity. but in others he himself contributed something to the divine corpus

τὰ μὲν τὰ ἐκπεφασμένα περὶ ταύτης τοῖς μεγάλοις Πατράσιν ἑπόμενος, τὰ δὲ καὶ αὐτός τι τῷ θείῳ συνεισφέρων πληρώματι.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 42.6-9
It is not beyond our nature to make oneself at home in one science and then proceed to understanding of others for research and return again to one's starting-point

τὸ δὲ μίαν τῶν πασῶν ἐπιστήμην οἱονεὶ καθ᾿ ἐστίαν φίλην ἑαυτῷ πεποιηκότα τινά, ἐντεῦθεν οἱονεὶ καθ᾿ ἱστορίαν ἐξιόντα καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἐν περινοίᾳ γίγνεσθαι, καὶ αὖθις ἐπαναστρέφειν ἀφ᾿ ἧς κεκίνηται....   Psellos: Chronographia VI 40.7-11
Many people think more highly of him than his true nature: as he studied geometry they think he can measure the heavens; as he knows something of the (celestial) sphere, they assume he knows every (technical) detail

... καὶ ἐπειδὴ γεωμετρίας ἡψάμην, οἴονταί με τὸν οὐρανὸν καταμετρεῖν δύνασθαι.   Psellos: Chronographia VIa 10.6-12
On reading of the powers of perfume vapour, at first he paid no attention to the account; subsequently did not trust these activities but rejected them with scorn

οὔτε δὲ πρῶτον ἀναγνοὺς προσηκάμην τὸν λόγον, καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα οὐκ ἔργοις πιστεύσας, ἀλλὰ βαλὼν λίθοις ἀπήλασα.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 67.6-7
Present readers of his account will testify that, finding philosophy expiring as regards its professors, he himself revived it, encountering no notable teachers nor finding, despite searching everywhere, any seed in Greece or among barbarians

... ἐκπνεύσασαν τὴν σοφίαν καταλαβὼν ὅσον ἐπὶ τοῖς μετέχουσιν, αὐτὸς ἀνεζωπύρησα οἴκόθεν, οὔτε διδασκάλοις ἀξιολόγοις περιτυχών, οὔτε σπέρμα σοφίας ... τὸ ξύμπαν διερευνησάμνος εὑρηκώς.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 37.4-9
Speaking without vanity, he would not wish to be praised for his extensive learning, since he is not deceived by self-love nor ignorant of his limits, being far short of those who have surpassed him in oratory and philosophy

... μή με ἐντεῦθεν, μηδ᾿ ὅτι πολλοῖς βίβλοις ὡμίλησα, οὐ γὰρ ἐκ φιλαυτίας ἠπάτημαι, οὐδὲ τὸ ἐμὸν μέτρον ἠγνόηκα, ὅτι πολλοστόν ἐστι τῶν ὑπὲρ ἐμὲ σοφιστευσάντων ἢ φιλοσοφησάντων.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 42.9-13
To climb to the first philosophy and to pure knowledge, he began with incorporeals in the so-called mathematics, which are between the corporeal natures and their understaanding, which is unconnected with them, and the actual essences, object of pure apprehension

... τὴν περὶ τῶν ἀσωμάτων θεωρίαν προὔλαβον ἐν τοῖς λεγομένοις μαθήμασιν, ἃ δὴ μέσην τινὰ τάξιν τετάχαται, τῆς τε περὶ τὰ σώματα φύσεως καὶ τῆς ἀσχέτου πρὸς ταῦτα νοήσεως, καὶ αὐτῶν δὴ τῶν οὐσιῶν, ....   Psellos: Chronographia VI 38.5-10
Today literature no longer flourishes in the great cities of learning and all vital sources are blocked: as he could not engage with the living streams, he turned his attention to their images

..., οὔτ᾿ ἄλλη τις πόλεων ἐπί τινι τῶν λόγων σεμνύνεται τανῦν, ἀλλὰ καὶ αἱ χρυσίτιδες φλέβες ... ἐμπεφραγμέναι ... · ὅθεν μὴ αὐτοῖς δὴ τοῖς ζῶσι νάμασιν ἐντυχεῖν ἔχων, ταῖς εἰκόσιν ἐκείνων προσεσχηκὼς.   Psellos: Chronographia VI 43.1-9
When there was need of allegory Michael 7 often surpassed him

ἀλληγορεῖν δὲ δεῆσαν πολλάκις τὸν συγγραφέα ὑπερεβάλλετο.   Psellos: Chronographia VIIc 4.20-1
Ethnic label (null)
Second Name (7)
Psellos

Ψελλός.   Skylitzes 496.83

Ψελλός.   Glykas 612.1

Ψελλός.   Skylitzes Continuatus 141.16

Ψελλῷ.   Theophylaktos of Ohrid, Letters 219.4, 589.1

Ψελλός.   Zonaras 18.3.2, 18.15.3, 18.16.8, etc.

Ψελλοῦ.   Psellos Hypomnema 3

Ψελλοῦ.   Psellos Malik-shah t2
Kinship (33)
brother of Anonyma 2110

(ἀδελφή).   Psellos Mother 25-26
brother of Anonymus 272

ἀδελφόν.   Theophylaktos of Ohrid, Letters 589.1
father of Anonymus 2173

(υἱός).   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 35.269
father of Styliane 2101

(θυγατέρα).   Psellos Styliane 62-63
father (adoptive) of Euphemia 103

(θυγάτριον ... εἰσποιητόν).   Psellos Hypomnema 21-22
father-in-law of Elpidios 2101

(γαμβροῦ).   Psellos Hypomnema 6
grandfather of Anonymus 234

(θυγατριδοῦς).   Theophylaktos of Ohrid, Letters 219.9
grandfather of Anonymus 436

πάππος.   Psellos Oratoria minora 152.14
husband of Anonyma 2119

(γυναῖκα).   Psellos Letters (K - D) 273, 317.19 (Sathas 36.270)
kin of Anonyma 2142

συγγενεῖ.   Psellos Letters (K - D) 169, 193.11
kin of Anonymus 2139

τῶν συγγενῶν τινι.   Psellos Mother 29
kin of Anonymus 2179

συγγένειαν.   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 43.276
kin of Anonymus 2288

συγγενοῦς.   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 163.421
kin of Anonymus 2316

συγγενοῦς.   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 193.488
kin of Anonymus 2414

συγγενὴς ἡμῶν.   Psellos Letters (K - D) 90, 118.24
kin of Anonymus 2463

συγγενής.   Psellos Letters (K - D) 144, 170.17
kin of Anonymus 2466

συγγενής.   Psellos Letters (K - D) 150, 175.2
kin of Anonymus 2480

συγγενεῖ.   Psellos Letters (K - D) 160, 188.2
kin of Anonymus 2491

συγγενής.   Psellos Letters (K - D) 165, 191.4
kin of Anonymus 2511

συγγενεῖ.   Psellos Letters (K - D) 178, 199.23
kin of Anonymus 2572

συγγενοῦς.   Psellos Letters (K - D) 253, 301.8
kin of Anonymus 2583

συγγενοῦς.   Psellos Letters (K - D) 262, 308.4
kin of Christophoros 2101

συγγενοῦς.   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 140.383
kin of Anonymus 2272

μετοχῇ γένους ἐτιμήσαμεν.   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 146.394
son of Anonymus 2134

(πατέρα).   Psellos Mother 9
son of Theodote 2101

(μητέρα).   Psellos Mother 3 (tit.), 11
spiritual brother of Anonymus 2548

ἀδελφοί.   Psellos Letters (K - D) 226, 269.26
spiritual brother of Anonymus 7036

ἀδελφὸς ... ἐκ πνευματικῆς διαθέσεως.   Psellos: Chronographia VIIb 4.13-14

τῷ πατρὶ φίλτατος.   Psellos Letters (Gautier) 35.41
spiritual father of Anonymus 2525

(υἱῷ πνευματικῷ).   Psellos Letters (K - D) 189, 209.25
spiritual son of Anonymus 2547

(πατρός).   Psellos Letters (K - D) 226, 269.25
spiritual uncle of Konstantinos 120

ἀνεψιέ.   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 1.219
uncle of Eudokia 1

(ἀνεψιά).   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 104.347; (Gautier) 35.45
Language Skill (null)
Location (50)
Agros (Bithynia)

claimed connection (as owner rather than as charistikarios?) with property at Agros (Bithynia) ᾿Αγρὸς [...] ἡμέτερος.   Psellos Letters (K - D) 13, 15.23

wanted to hide his frustration on his small, undeveloped estate of Agros (Bithynia) ᾿Αγρόν.   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 198.492
Alexandria

was dominant as a teacher iu Alexandria ᾿Αλεξανδρεῦσι.   Psellos Letters (Gautier) 15.36-37
Antioch (on the Orontes)

was dominant as a teacher iu Antioch (on the Orontes) ᾿Αντιοχεῦσι.   Psellos Letters (Gautier) 15.36-37
Armeniakon

had been krites of Armaniakon τοῦ σοῦ θέματος.   Psellos Letters (K - D) 136, 161.14-163.12
Basilaion

had received hospitality at Basilaion Βασιλαίου.   Psellos Letters (K - D) 32, 50.2
Boukellarion

was krites of Boukellarion ἐν τῷ θέματι.   Psellos Letters (K - D) 65, 99.5-7
Caesarea (Cappadocia)

was being dragged beyond Caesarea Καισαρεία.   Psellos Letters (Snipes) 1.56

wrote to three recipients from Caesarea Καισαρεία.   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 176.455
Constantinople

completed the first stage of the journey from Constantinople ἐκ Πόλεως.   Psellos: Chronographia VII 19.7

sailed for and reached palace harbour of Constantinople Βυζάντιον.   Psellos: Chronographia VII 33.8-9

though claimed by many parts of the world was from Constantinople τῆς τοῦ Βύζαντος.   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 95.339

went through the middle of on horseback Constantinople διὰ μέσης ... τῆς Πόλεως.   Psellos: Chronographia V 27.18
Constantinople: Acheiropoietos

owned the monastery of Acheiropoietos τῆς ᾿Αχειροποιήτου.   Psellos Letters (K - D) 250, 299.1-17

supported the monastery of Acheiropoietos ᾿Αχειροποίητον.   Psellos Letters (K - D) 251, 299.20

was charistikarios of the Acheiropoietos τῆς ᾿Αχειροποιήτου.   Psellos Letters (K - D) 124, 148.6-149.6
Constantinople: Anargyroi

met Romanos, metropolitan of Kyzikos, at the church of the Anargyroi τῷ ἱερῷ τῶν ᾿Αναργύρων.   Psellos Letters (K - D) 12, 14.12-13
Constantinople: Great Palace

was standing outside the palace entrance πρὸ τῶν βασιλείων εἰσόδων.   Psellos: Chronographia V 27.6-7

was in the outer portico of the palace ἡ ἔξω στοά.   Psellos: Chronographia V 27.8-11
Constantinople: Hagia Sophia

wrote a lamentation for the collapse of Hagia Sophia τῆς Ἁγίας Σοφίας.   Psellos Oratoria minora 131.1
Constantinople: Hagios Petros

taught philosophy at the school of Hagios Petros ῾Αγίου Πέτρου.   Psellos Niketas Maïstor 93
Constantinople: Stoudios

came to the holy altar (of the church of) Stoudios τῷ ἱερῷ βήματι.   Psellos: Chronographia V 40.3-4

entering not without difficulty the church of Stoudios ναόν.   Psellos: Chronographia V 39.8-9

saw that there was a citizen army surrounding Stoudios τοῦ νεώ, τὸν ἱερὸν οἶκον.   Psellos: Chronographia V 39.5, 7
Constantinople: Ta Narsou

made significant benefactions to the monastery of Ta Narsou τῶν Ναρσοῦ.   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 135.378-379

was born and brought up near Ta Narsou τῶν Ναρσοῦ.   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 135.378-379
Constantinople: Theotokos (Hagia Soros) of Ta Kyrou

entered the crowded church of Theotokos (Hagia Soros) of Ta Kyrou ἐν τῇ Ἁγίᾳ Σορῷ ... ὁ τῆς Παρθένου τῶν Κύρου νεώς.   Psellos Oratoria minora 138.1-2, 147.299
Dobrosontos (Boleron)

imagined receiving Elysium instead of Dobrosontos (Boleron) τὰ Δοβρόσοντος.   Psellos Letters (Gautier) 20.46

was given the monastery of Dobrosontos (Boleron) τὰ Δοβρόσοντος.   Psellos Letters (K - D) 89, 118.16
Ganos, Mount

he wrote to the monks of Ganos, Mount Γάνος.   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 150.398-399
Horaia Pege (Bithynia)

after illness would again see Horaia Pege (Bithynia) ῾Ωραίαν Πηγήν.   Psellos Letters (K - D) 177, 199.17

wanted to die at Horaia Pege (Bithynia) ῾Ωραίᾳ Πηγῇ.   Psellos Letters (K - D) 228, 272.7
Kathara (Opsikion)

owned the monastery of Kathara (Opsikion) Καθαρά.   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 77.311

wrote about an icon in the monastery of Kathara (Opsikion) Καθαρῶν.   Psellos Letters (K - D) 194, 221.18
Medikion

owned the monastery of Medikion Μηδικίου.   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 29.264

wrote to Nokolaos 104 about Medikion τὸ φροντιστήριον τὸ Μηδίκιον.   Psellos Letters (K - D) 125, 149.8
Megala Kellia (Bithynia)

had just been given the lavra of Megala Kellia (Bithynia) Κελλίων.   Psellos Letters (K - D) 273, 318.2-3 (Sathas 36.270, 77.311)
Mesopotamia

saw service with Kataphloron in Mesopotamia Μεσοποταμίας.   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 180.459
Mountania (Bithynia)

wanted to invest as charistikarios in Mountania (Bithynia) Μουντανίων.   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 178.456
Nikomedeia

was sent as envoy to Isaakios 1 at Nikomedeia εἰς Νικομήδειαν.   Skylitzes 496.81
Olympos, Mount (Bithynia)

left the capital for a visit to Olympos, Mount (Bithynia) τὸ θεῖον ὄρος τὸν ῎Ολυμπον.   Psellos Hypomnema 126-127

left the capital to live on Olympos, Mount (Bithynia) τὸ θεῖον ὄρος τὸν ῎Ολυμπον.   Psellos Xiphilinos 421

would still go to Olympos, Mount (Bithynia) τὸ θεῖον ὄρος [...] τὸν ῎Ολυμπον.   Psellos Xiphilinos 421

wrote four short speeches praising Olympos, Mount (Bithynia) Ὄλυμπον.   Psellos Oratoria minora 134.1
Peiraieus

tried to arrange for the ship of ta Narsou to sail successfully to Peiraieus Πειραιεῖ.   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 135.378-379
Philadelphia (Lydia)

three times visited Philadelphia (Lydia) Φιλαδελφείας.   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 180.459-460
Reai (Bithynia)

met Isaakios 1 Komnenos at Reai (Bithynia) τὰς Ῥέας.   Skylitzes 497.93
Sakelline

applied for renewal of the sigillion of the convent of Sakelline Σακελλίνης.   Psellos Letters (K - D) 201, 229.20
Thrakesion

was krites of Thrakesion τοῦ θέματος (Φιλαδελφεία).   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 180.459
Trapeza

was arranging a combined charistikion for the monastery of Trapeza τῆς Τραπέζης.   Psellos Letters (K - D) 38, 63.3-4
Occupation/Vocation (3)
Monk

μοναχῷ.   Psellos: Chronographia Introduction 1

μοναχοῦ.   Psellos Hypomnema 3

μοναχός.   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 114.359
Possession (9)
Acheiropoietos monastery

τῆς ᾿Αχιροποιήτου.   Psellos Letters (K - D) 250, 299.1-17
Bronze vessels

τὰ [...] χαλκᾶ σκεύη.   Psellos Letters (K - D) 269, 315.12
Dobroson

Δοβρόσοντος.   Psellos Letters (Gautier) 20.46
Dobrosontos (monastery)

τὰ Δοβρόσοντος.   Psellos Letters (K - D) 89, 118.16
Sakelline (convent)

Σακελλίνης.   Psellos Letters (K - D) 201, 229.20
Statues

ἀγάλματα.   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 141.384
The lavra of Megala Kellia

τῆς δὲ λαύρας τῶν Κελλίων δοθείσης μοι.   Psellos Letters (K - D) 273, 318.2-3 (Sathas 36.270)
The monasteries of Kathara, Medikion and the new Mergala Kellia

Psellos Letters (Sathas) 77.311
The monastery of Medikion

τοῦ Μηδικίου ἤδη δεσπόζομεν.   Psellos Letters (Sathas) 29.264
Religion (null)
Eunuchs (null)
Alternative Name (4)
Konstantinos

Κωνσταντῖνος.   Skylitzes 496.83

Κωνσταντίνου.   Mauropous: Letters 99.11

Κωνσταντῖνος.   Skylitzes Continuatus 141.16
Uncertain Ident (1)

Michael Psellos (named Konstantinos till tonsure in 1054) E / L XI

τῷ Ψελλῷ, (Michael 61)